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Maenclochog, Manorbier, Manordeifi, Manorowen, Marloes, Martletwy, Mathry, Meline, Milford Haven (haven), Milford Haven (town), Milton, Minwear, Monkton, Mounton, Moylgrove, Mynachlogddu.
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Maenclochog (083274) [Jottings]
(ringing Stone)
Large village near Preseli hills in a very Welsh area now but has a Church (St Mary's) with Tower as well as 3 Chapels.
A Centre for the local area once had a Blacksmith, Miller, Carpenter, Lime burner, Wheelwright, Draper, and 10 pubs.
The railway to Rosebush once ran through here. The railway tunnel was used in WW2 for Barnes Wallis and the RAF to perfect the technique of bouncing bombs (1943/4).
Over a well there was once a cap stone which rang if struck, hence "ringing stone".
Jubilee Young a famous preacher was born at the Step Inn.
After the Fishguard invasion, French prisoners of war were said to have been held here in the "Bastile".
Slate Quarried in the area.
Nearby is Penrhos, a thatched cottage converted into a museum.
Maenclochog (083274). A large village in the Preseli foothills - very Welsh, in spite of the Norman appearance of the church tower. The centre of the village is taken up with a spacious village green and a raised churchyard. The settlement has a rather grotesque collection of building styles, but it is a fascinating place.
Acc/to The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park by Dillwyn Miles.
Craig Y castell "the castle rock" is the site of a small castle, all traces of which have vanished. It was captured by Llewellyn the Great in 1215 and by Llewellyn the Last in 1257. The church was rebuilt during the later part of the last century, but the font is Norman. Two inscribed stones removed from nearby Llandeilo to the church are of particular interest in that they may commemorate two brothers Coimagnus and Andagellus the sons of Cavetus. The former has the inscription in Latin only, and the latter in Latin and Ogham, and they date from the 6C.
Acc/to Western Telegraph 13 Mar 1991.
Then and Now.
The restored church of St Mary's was reopened for divine worship on Tues June 7th 1881 in the presence of the Bishop of St David's. The sum of £525 had been spent on the restoration using the old walls and adding a vestry to give the church its present almost cruciform shape. The design was by Messrs Middleton of Cheltenham and the work was carried out by Edwin Davies of Maenclochog and David Owen of Langolman. The Church had fallen into disrepair in the middle of the 19c and the work of restoration was largely due to the efforts of Rev. Thomas Walters and the Hon. Mrs Margaret Owen widow of Edward Cropper the builder of the Maenclochog Railway who had married Col. Owen in 1879 and came to live in Rosebush Villa. They did much to benefit the district including donations to the school and promoting the extension of the railway to Fishguard. Further restoration of the church took place in the early 1900's when the tower was raised (between 1901 & 5).
The Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments (1914) records "The church is a modern building and of no archaeological interest but the font is worthy of attention". The report then goes on to describe the old Norman font as "a rudely formed basin". The disused font now lies in the churchyard.
Acc/to The Old Parish Churches of South West Wales - Mike Salter 1994
Church on ancient foundations but has been completely rebuilt and lacks old features.
Acc/to Pembrokeshire Parsons
Maenclochog vicarage formed part of the possessions of the abbey of St. Dowels, to which house it was granted together with two chapels (Llandeilo and Llangolman) attached to the church, and one acre of land, an orchard and a plot of land in Maenclochog, by David de Rupe, the son and heir of Gilbert de Rupe. This grant was made without license from the King, but on 30 Oct. 1320, the abbot obtained pardon from the King for this omission. - Patent Rolls.
After the dissolution of the monasteries Maenclochog came into the hands of the Crown, and in 1536 was leased, together with the rectories of Llandeilo and Llangolman, to John Leche of Llawhaden. Pems.—State Papers.
In 1291 this church was assessed at £6 11s. 4d. for tenths to the King; the sum payable being 13s. 4d. — Taxatio.
Mayncloughauke.—Ecclesia ibidem'ad abbiam Sancti Dogmaelis appropriate et fructus et ouaciones ibidem valent communibus annis viijli. Et est ibidem una vicaria cum mansione et terris eidem vicarie pertinente ex collacione abbatis ibidem. Et pars dicte vicarie de tercia parte fructus ibidem valet communibus annis iiij. 'Inde sol' quolibet tercio anno in visitacione ordinaria xvjd. Et in sinod alib us et procuracionibus quoli bet anno vs 13 d. Et remanet clare £11 12s 11d. — Valor Eccl.
Under the heading 'Livings Discharged':— Maen-clochogg V- (St Mary) united to Llangolman and Llandeilo. Ordinar. quolibet tertio anno, 1s. 4d. Syn. and Prox., 5s. 9d. Habet tert. part. fruct. Pri. Sti. Dogmael. Patr. and Propr. Hugh Bowen, clerk, 1765. Clear yearly value, £25. King's Books, £3 18s. 9d. — Bacon's Liber Regis.
On 22 Oct., 1880, a faculty was granted for the alteration and restoration of Maenclochog Church.
Booklet first published 1996 © B H J Hughes.
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The parish extends from the sea on the south to the ridgeway on the north and from Lydstep on the east to Hodgeston on the west and includes Jameston.
Has been inhabited since the Stone age, with evidence of middle stone age flint factory and Kings Quoit a Neolithic cromlech perched on the cliff of the east side of the Bay. It is capped with a massive block of stone.
From a later period Bronze age food beakers have been found at Manorbier.
Norchard Beacon
This is a tumulus which is placed at b.m. 337 on the summit line of the high ground called the Ridgeway, which runs diagonally across the Tenby-Castlemartin peninsula. It was opened in 1851 (Arch. Camb., II, ii, 291, ill.), but nothing was discovered to mark the mound as sepulchral. Since that date it has been much altered. There is, however, no record of any further systematic examination of it having been attempted. It has a present height of about 5 feet.—Visited, 31st May, 1922.
Bier Hill or Whitehill Mounds
(6 in. Ord. Surv. sheet, Pem. 41 S.W.; lat. 51° 39' 59", long. 4° 47' 28").
About 300 yards west of Norchard Beacon is a group of three tumuli now about 5 feet in height and 180 feet in diameter at the level. The middle mound was examined on the same occasion as Orchard Beacon. A stone grave 9 feet long was disclosed, and within it a skeleton at full length. The body had been laid east and west, the head being to the west. At a later period another of these mounds was opened, when a plain urn, 6 inches in height, now in the Tenby Museum, was discovered. Two other urns were also found, but their present location is unknown (Pem. Arch. Survey). There is also in the Tenby Museum a rubber or pounder stone from the Ridgway but whether from any of these tumuli is not stated. — Visited, 14th April, 1915.
The King's Quoit.
This cromlech stands on the extreme verge of Manorbier Bay about half a mile southwest of the medieval castle. The Capstone has an overall length of 15 ft breadth of 9 ft and thickness varying from 1 1/2 ft to 2 ft; it originally rested upon three short supports but one has fallen beneath it. Adjoining and above the capstone is a ledge of limestone similar to it; to which in all probability the capstone once belonged.
Old Castle.
This earthwork has suffered much and not least from the military activities of the recent war. It was visited in 1871 by Lieut. Col. W. Ll. Morgan, R.E., SF.S.A., a retired Royal Commissioner, whose description of it is as follows:-
"A natural hollow running from sea to sea cuts off a small promontory from the main line, which is been turned into a fortress by a series of fortifications on the southern slopes of the hollow. The eastern end of the promontory ridge is cut off from the remainder by a small natural ravine at right angles to the hollow, which has been utilised as a roadway. The eastern side of the ravine, flanking the roadway, has been scarped, this scarping - 12 feet high - turns at right angles along the side of the hill for 90 yards, after which it descends the slope as a bank and ditch for 60 yards and terminates in a small inlet at the eastern end of the hollow. Thirty feet in front is a second bank and ditch with a small counterscarp bank beyond. There are signs of scarping of the hillside in front of the scarping mentioned above, but they are very indistinct. The western side of the ravine is taken up by a rectangular-shaped enclosure, which is divided from the western portion of the Promontory ridge by a second and smaller ravine.
This work was necessary on account of the high ground on the edge of the cliff. The western portion of the ridge is taken up by a possible out-work, with two banks on the side of the hill, but it is doubtful if they can be considered as fortifications. The hut circles are numerous and perfect.
Skomer Camp.
(6 in. Ord. Surv. sheet, Pem. 44 N.W.; lat. 51° 38' 35'', long. 4° 46' 2").
A promontory camp, situated half a mile due south of the village of Lydstep, not shown on the Ord. sheets. The earthwork is defended on three sides by steep and perpendicular cliffs, and on the land side by a massive rampart and ditch which have partially disappeared. The bank has suffered from exposure this bleak spot; it is at its best on the west, where it rises 10 feet and falls 80 feet a 9 feet ditch; it has a present length of about 100 feet. The entrance the enclosure was at the north-eastern angle. The interior is rocky and barren.
Manorbier Castle.
Acc/to Hamilton Thompsons Mil. Arch. to England, 207).
Manorbier Castle contains an interesting example of the enlargement of domestic buildings, with a solar block at either end of the hall. The castle stands on rising ground in a deep valley, about, half a mile from the sea. The inner ward of castle proper is surrounded by a curtain, with a gatehouse in the east wall. The dwelling-house is upon the west side of the ward, at the end opposite the main entrance and consists of two distinct portions. The earlier consists of a first-floor and great chamber above cellars.
There was a floor above the great chamber, probably forming a bower for the ladies of the household, the hall corresponding in height to these two upper stages. The present entrance to the Hall is in the side wall at the end next the great chamber, and was probably made, with the outer stairs against the wall, in the 13th century. The hall with its adjacent buildings appears to be originally of the later part of the 12th century: the cellars below have semicircular barrel vaults. In the second half of the 13th century a new block of buildings was made at the opposite or south end of the hall. It was now probably that the new entrance was made. The position of the dais seems to have been reversed, and a window in the south end wall of the hall blocked by a fireplace. Behind this wall, and entered by a doorway in its west end, was the new great chamber, a long narrow building with its axis at right angles to that of the hall, and with a floor above. At each end of the south wall of this apartment is a passage. That at the west end passes along the line of the curtain to a tower which projects at the south-west angle of the castle: the passage is still roofed with flat slabs on continuous corbelling, and is well lighted by loops in the curtain. The other passage, at the south-east corner of the great chamber, forms a lobby to a large chapel which was built across the southwest angle of the ward, so that a small triangular yard was left between it and the curtain. There is a separate outer stair to the chapel, placed, like the stair to the hall at right angles to the wall. The whole group of buildings, with its two outer stairs, is unexcelled for picturesqueness in any castle".
It is somewhat strange that as important a medieval castle, as Manorbier unquestionably is, should possess hardly any military history. It is best known to archaeologists as the birthplace of the important chronicler Giraldus Cambrensis. He describes the castle of his youth as "- excellently well defended by turrets and bulwarks, situated on the summit of a hill extending on the western side towards the sea, having on the northern and southern sides a fine fish-pond under its walls and a beautiful orchard on the same side, enclosed on one part by a vineyard and on the other by a wood remarkable for the projection of its rocks and the height of its hazel trees. On the right hand of the promontory, between the castle and the and the church near the site of a very large lake and mill , a rivulet of never failing water flows through the valley rendered sandy by the violence of the winds".
Seeing that the above description was written about the year 1200, and that it pictures a state of things which existed perhaps half a century earlier, it is manifest that the present castle of Manorbier is not that within whose walls the future arch-deacon of Brecon was born, and whose beauties he has so enthusiastically voiced. The present structure is probably not earlier than the period 1275-1325, in which case the builder must have been John de Barri, who granted the advowson of the parish church to the priory of Monckton (Pembroke) and that of the church of Penally to the priory of Aconbury, and whose inquisition post-mortem is dated the 17th Edw. II.
The late Mr. J. R. Cobb, who resided within the castle for some years, and contributed an excellent article on it to Arch. Cambrensis for 1880 (IV, Id 286) has made it clear that the present castle is largely erected upon and has incorporated within its structure an earlier building. Mr. Cobb states:
The curtain-wall was built over older foundations yet remaining, which range with, and appear s to have formed part of, the existing hall; and over these foundations is built the lower chapel or crypt, then unvaulted (of probably about the same date as Giraldus' nomination to the bishopric), which again was altered and vaulted to carry the upper chapel, which shows enrichments scarcely later than 1300.
Again, the vaults under the hall, which look Edwardian, stop up, and were demonstrably built after, a plain, round-headed, Norman-looking internal doorway leading to the hall basement; and they a lower the headway of a like external doorway having a bolt-hole 10 feet deep and no portcullis; while in the hall itself is one circular-headed door stopped by a 14th century arch built under it and another still leading to the stairs of access; and in the adjoining chamber is a small light with enormous spay as Norman looking as it is possible to be without moulding and a corresponding garderobe.
And the vault leading to the Watergate, also apparently Edwardian, clearly took the place of a wooded floor supported by vast beams very close together, which, with the angular-headed side-door, have a very early look. And these buildings, as before said, range and seem contemporaneous with the old foundations which pass under the first chapel and under the curtain-wall, which exist intact right through the square tower, which corresponds with the church tower, and which was certainly built before the chantry, chapel and the south aisle of the church, of defined Early English work.
Moreover, the building containing the hall has a square ponderous look, without buttresses corresponding with Norman notions. It is approached, as usual, by external stairs leading to the first floor; and there is nothing about it suggestive of a later period - that is, not an obvious insertion and addition - while the evidence afforded by the doorways, blocked at a later but defined date, seems very clear. And it was in this building were found the 12th-century horse bone draughtsman and the ecclesiastical gold ring, which had apparently been lost, and covered by rubbish, before the fire, of which there are abundant proofs, had deposited a further layer of 8 feet more.
The square tower adjoining the gate-tower on the north, of which one angle has perished, is a very remarkable construction. Though 40 feet high, it had only two chambers - a basement without light, and a first floor, 20 feet high, with only two narrow slits, entered by the round-headed arch of long, thin, stones, approached by external stairs, wooden floors, with a wooden roof, and apparently a wooden rampart, on which the men could stand to serve the crenelles. This tower and the square
building at the lower end of the yard look Norman and have, as before shown Norman characteristics, and they are both apparently anterior to the first wall; and the first wall, with circular-headed gateway with portcullis (but no gate-tower), with bastion-tower at the north-west angle far lower than at present, and the present round tower at the south-east angle, clearly existed before the south-west square tower, before it was raised; and which has been before suggested as coeval with the church tower, and almost certainly before the lower chapel of 1220 or thereabouts. The first gate-tower afterwards built outside the gateway was only a vault with ramparts and slits, which are now plainly visible outside and in. Afterwards were added the upper chambers; and it is these which have the corbel-table and chimney and internal fireplace, all looking Edwardian, but which are possibly Valencian.
The north-east curtain-wall has been raised four times; the north-west, three times. It is the last of these which carries the Edwardian bêtise, and is demonstrably later than the adjacent corbel-tabled buildings; and even the last have long merlons, while the covered rampart leading to the gate-tower, while upper addition to the square tower and its approach, and the addition to the hall building and the chapel, all have heavy unwrought battlements with no slits in the merlon, and it is these which give the building its present Edwardian look.
With singular good fortune the external walls of Manorbier have been preserved in much of their pristine condition, but the interior buildings, especially the portions allotted to household operations, have been ruthlessly swept away to make room for similar but more convenient domestic arrangements.
The inner courtyard consists of a spacious piece of ground in shape rectangular the northern side of which is occupied by the entrance towers while the southern end is taken up by the large chapel and some of the residential apartments. The Chapel reached from the courtyard by an external stone staircase is an oblong vaulted chamber 35ft by 17 ft. Within the chapel and to the left of the entrance is a stoup recess. At the west end is a doorway opening on a fine apartment which was probably the hall or an anteroom to it and a few feet away on the same side, is a stairway to rooms above. Sometime in the 16th century the chapel became a living room; a fine fireplace was inserted about midway along the south wall, and the east window, which may have been a single lancet or, perhaps, a group of lancets, was removed, a well-proportioned Tudor window taking its place. The other lights consisted of single lancets. There are indications of colour ornament on the walls and splay of one of the windows, but no appearance of figures.
Though history is entirely silent on the part played by the castle during the middle ages and 17th century civil wars it is fairly certain that it was brought into condition to engage in the latter struggle; but it does not appear that it was subjected to artillery fire. Perhaps the owners or residents, whoever they were, took warning by the fate of Carew and thought discretion the better part of valour. Mr. Cobb well observes: "No other place shows what I conceive to be Parliamentary-works so plainly or on so well-defined a plan, yet there is no mention of the place being garrisoned in the papers of the time: it is to this period the lead bolts found in the well are considered to belong." It is also highly probable that the moat in front of the north entrance assumed its present appearance, following much the same method of defence as that adopted at Carew. - Visited, 3rd June, 1922.
Gerald the Welshman's birthplace and favourite place still has the feel of the Middle Ages about it. The castle is delightful, looking more like a crusader fortress than an Anglo-Norman stronghold. The bay, with its beach, sand dunes and red cliffs, is on an intimate scale, and parts of the church are even older than the castle. Well worth a visit.
Sadly the area around the Castle has deteriorated over the last 800 years. The "fine pond under its walls and beautiful orchard enclosed on the one part by a vineyard" that Giraldus loved have been replaced by scrub and brambles. Giraldus Cambrensis birthplace c.1146 wrote one of the first chronicles of Wales. Son of William de Barri and the lovely Angharad daughter of Nest.
Church and castle
Norman Castle built and added to by de Barri family in 12&13c reminiscent of great Crusaders castles of Syria
Said to have been founded by Odo de Barri whose son William married Angharad daughter of Gerald de Windsor and his wife Nesta, Daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr prince of South Wales. Son Gerald de Barri [Giraldus Cambrensis] born at Manorbier approx 1146. It was "alarmed" during his boyhood, probably when Tenby was taken by the Welsh in 1153. Last of de Barri family died in 1359. 15c held by Earls of Huntingdon for 60 years reverted to Crown. Sold to Bowens of Trefloyne who sold to Sir Erasmus Phillips of Picton Castle from whom present owner descends.
1540 Leyland says that at that time it was largely a ruin.
Civil war taken by Parliamentary forces under Rowland Laugharne Sept. 1645.
Said that the cellars were used by smugglers to store their cargos landed in the bay.
In the late 19c parts of it were made habitable by Mr J.R.Cobb tenant.
1923 baby girl born in the castle said to be the first baby born in the castle since Giraldus named Geraldine in his memory.
Inner ward is roughly rectangular. Hall block facing Gate & square tower by gatehouse mid 12c remainder 13& early 14c.
Acc/to Francis Jones.
Normally this building, which is mainly a ruin, would not be within the scope of this work but as parts of it have been restored to make it once again a family home then it qualifies on these grounds for inclusion.
Fenton described Manorbier as 'the most perfect residence of an old Norman who is said to have founded Manor with all its appendages; church, mill, dove-house, ponds, park and grove, still to be traced'.
It looks today much as depicted by Samuel and Nathaniel Buck in 1740. Nothing much has been added to the building since about 1300 except making part of it habitable again. The birthplace the Giraldus de Barri (c. 1146 c. 1220), otherwise known as Giraldus Cambrensis or, more popularly, Gerald of Wales. Gerald was a grandson of Odo de Barri, a bier. His father, William de Barri, married Angharad, daughter of another Norman, Gerald de Windsor and grand-daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr (d. 1093), Prince of South Wales.
Gerald wrote (inter alia) The journey through Wales and The Description of Wales. Both these, written in Latin, are very readable in the late Professor Lewis Thorpe's translation.
Gerald waxes lyrical when describing his birthplace with lavish praise.
The de Barri family and their descendants occupied Manorbier for about 200 years, their connexion ending in 1399 when the castle and lands were confiscated by Henry IV. Thereafter the castle changed hands several times but by the late 1530's it was already in ruins with no one living there. Cromwell's soldiers seized Manorbier in the Civil War but it was not slighted or besieged. The castle does not have a keep and is built around a large courtyard with a surviving round tower and a gatehouse.
Lady Dunsany lived here for a number of years.
East Moor.
(To the west of Manorbier village, near the coast, above Swanlake Bay).
East Moor was the home of the Lorts in the 17th century near it is another farmstead called West Moor. Sampson Lort, second son of Henry Lort of Stackpole Court, established himself at East Moor. Like his father he served on both sides during the Civil War. His first wife Olive was a daughter of Sir John Philipps of Picton. She died in 1637, and four years later Sampson married Lettice, daughter of Thomas ap Rhys of Rickeston (Brawdy) and Scotsborough. He was High Sheriff in 1650, and died in 1667. His only son, Thomas Lort succeeded to East Moor; he married Elizabeth White of Henllan, but died without issue. A few references have been found to East Moor. In 1670 Thomas Lort was assessed at seven hearths, indicating it to have been a commodious residence.
An inventory of the possessions of Thomas, compiled in 1687 mentions the following rooms in East Moor - hall, the little room within the hall, the little parlour, chamber over the outward kitchen, 'another little room', closet, little room over the entry, chamber over the kitchen, closet within the said chamber, buttery, kitchen, outer kitchen, larder, dairy, and outhouses.
Over a hundred years later, Fenton wrote in 1811 - 'Turn to the left to see Moor, one of the chief mansions of this district about two hundred years ago, of a very irregular form with many ruinous and extensive out-buildings, once entered by a gateway now stopped up, leading to a porter's lodge. With very few exceptions, this may serve as a model of the style of building their houses among the great of that era in this country which invariably appears to have been surrounded by a high court-wall having a large arched gateway, and essentially differing from the form of the principal houses of the same date, in the upper part of the country.
Commissioners of Ancient Monuments who visited the site in 1923 state that in the farmyard to the West of the modern house were the ruins of a small E-shaped two-storied dwelling house 'of no architectural importance'; in its original state it may have consisted of a hall, with North and South wings, and central porch, but most of the features had disappeared leaving only the hall which had been altered almost out of recognition. After the departure of the Lorts the house changed ownership several times.
The Land Tax of 1786 names four messuages, each called East Moor, as follows:
(1) Sir Hugh Owen, owner, Peter Gwyther tenant, assessed at £3.18. 0.
(2) Peter Gwyther, owner-occupier, assessed at 7s.5d.
(3) Thomas Voyle, owner, Peter Gwyther tenant, assessed at 14s
(4) George Leach, owner, Peter Gwyther, tenant, assessed at 14s 6d.
From this it seems that the dwelling of the Lorts was (1).
The Pembrokeshire Archaeological Survey (1896-1907) states that in the farmyard of East Moor is an ancient house now used for farm buildings, probably the dwelling of Sampson Lort.
NORCHARD. Manorbier.
Just south of The Ridgeway, and north of Lydstep. Formerly a commodious residence of an ancient landowning family, built over a continuous vault. It is now a farmhouse. The earliest residence of which we have any record was that of Looney, also spelled as Lymy and Lang. Thomas Looney left no sons and Norchard passed to his daughter and heiress Isabel who married Lawrence Marychurch who settled at his wife's home. Between 1400 and 1600, eleven generations of his descendants lived at Norchard. The origin of the family is unknown, and the name was often rendered as St. Marychurch by Dwnn. Five of the name served as Mayors of Tenby in the period 1501-1526. When Dwnn recorded the pedigree and arms on 10 November 1591, John Marychurch signed, and gave five shillings to the herald for his travail.
The family remained at Norchard until the latter half of the 19th century. In 1670 William Marychurch was assessed at seven hearths for Norchard, and Maud Marychurch and Francis Marychurch were each assessed at one hearth apiece. The male line seems to have failed shortly afterwards, and when Mary Marychurch married on 1673, John Williams of Gumfreston, and Pant Howel (Carms), who then settled at Norchard which passed to Mary's descendants.
Mrs. Mary Williams had two daughters who married two brothers - Mary to John Meyrick (d. 1732), and Alice who married Francis Meyrick (d. 1741) In 1786 Norchard was owned by John Meyrick Esq. (of Bush), with Nicholas Roch as tenant. Thereafter Norchard was farmed by tenants.
NOTE: A family of Marychurch lived in Havefordwest from the 17th century, where they were successful tradesmen, mercers and glovers. William Marychurch, a Royalist, was elected Mayor of the town in 1653, but was fined and ousted from the post at a suite in Haberdashers Hall, London. In 1694 William Marychurch was Sheriff of Haverfordwest, and Mayor in 1694; in 1829 Joseph Marychurch was town sheriff, and in 1865, Mayor of the town. The family also owned property at Llawhaden.
The Palace, or the Palace of Arms.
(6 in. Ord. Surv. sheet, Pem. 44 N.W. lat. 51° 39' 0" long. 4° 46' 8").
In the village of Lydstep, a little way from the north side of the Tenby to Manorbier high-road, stand the ruins (long used as a quarry) of a house known locality as the Palace, or the Palace of Arms. Whilst many of its features existed and were identifiable, it was described and illustrated in Arch. Camb., 1867, III, xiii, 336 where it is stated to have been sometimes called a hunting-seat of bishop Gower of St David's, but no authority for the statement is given. As shown by the then existing foundations and walls, the building had a frontage of about 22 yards. The lower part contained several vaulted rooms, most of which were without windows or fireplaces and probably were cellars.
On the opposite side of the road was a second, and in some respects a similar house, or possibly two distinct houses, of which no traces now remain. - visited 19th May, 1922.
Arch. Camb., 1881, IV, xii, 159.
Laws said that he was told by his nurse, a native of Lydstep that according to traditional usage the house on the north side of the road was "The Palace" and that on the south side "The Place of Arms".
There is also the legend that Aircol Llawhir a 4c king had his palace at Lydstep.
The Parish Church
The church consists of the following: chancel (28 feet by 17) north transept (22 feet by 11 feet), south transept (19 feet by 15 feet) Nave (68 feet by 15 feet), north aisle (58 feet by 15 feet), south aisle, a lean-too (52 feet by 7 feet), tower on north side (15 feet square), south porch (8 feet by 8ft).
The edifice is placed near the top of a steep hill about 200 feet above the bottom level of the valley which separates it from the medieval castle on the opposite slope, a small strip of level ground having doubtless been widened to accommodate the edifice.
The oldest part of the church is the nave and a single small round headed light above the present south arcade, shows that this original church dates from Norman period, probably mid 12c., the window is the only remaining one of what was probably a row of small lights that were placed high up in the exterior walls to catch as much of the daylight as possible. The Norman church may have consisted of chancel, transepts and nave of which the nave alone remains. About a century later the chancel and transepts were rebuilt and within another generation or two the north transept was clumsily enlarged to accommodate the tomb of one of the lords of the castle, usually supposed to have been John de Barri, who died c. 1324. It is also probable that the north aisle was added about the same period. The Norman windows in the south wall must have kept that side of the nave very dark, so that shortly after the burial of de Barri in the lengthened transept, it was determined to build a lean-to aisle to the nave by cutting a series of low arches in what had hitherto been the exterior south wall of the building; thus, by putting larger windows into the low wall of the new aisle, the original Norman lights became as it were a clear story to the enlarged building The transepts are really side or mortuary chapels, and the aisles open upon them in a clumsy fashion. There is a squint from the south transept to the chancel. The comparatively small base measurement of the tower (15+ feet square), proportionately to its height, points to an earlier and less imposing feature than usually marks the ordinary 13th- century church of the county, and it is possible that had space permitted the course followed in the enlargement of Lawhaden church a more massive tower would have been erected at Manorbier. But at the latter, with the tower on the side sloping to the valley the ground would not admit of such enlargement, and it is probable that the original tower has had to do duty, through all restorations of church, upon its original site, and within its original dimensions. It is placed at the angle made by chancel and north transept. There are two fonts, one probably coeval with the Norman church, the other a plain octagonal basin (on a modern pillar), which may have been originally intended for less honourable uses.
Manorbier St James Parish of Manorbier.
Originates from Norman times with the Nave being the oldest part now standing. About 1250 the chancel and transepts were rebuilt, the chancel on a much older foundation but was greatly altered when the church was restored in 1865. Tower 1270. Barry Chapel added in 14c.
Giraldus Cambrensis, Gerald de Barri born 1146 or 1147 in Manorbier Castle records in his autobiography that as a boy (in 1153) he asked to be taken to the Church for safety during a fierce attack by the Welsh Princes on Tenby.
"The parish Church is that to which Giraldus aged 7 asked to be taken when the Welsh raided Tenby".
Steps lead down into it through a vaulted porch (note the medieval painting) as into a crypt. The huge walls of the Norman nave have been carved out, or so it seems, to form arcades to the fourteenth century aisles. The uninhibited intersections of the transept vaults cut the main vault of the nave at different levels. The sculptural character of the church must have been even stronger before the 1865 restoration.
[F Wehnert] when a much larger arch was cut in the chancel wall. Then the old rood screen and the Royal Arms were removed and the perpendicular east window changed for the present three light window. The tower has an unusual position in the angle between the chancel [rebuilt in the 13c] and the north transept. It was originally reached only by a ladder.
14c rood loft oldest remaining example of medieval church woodwork in the county.
The earliest recorded Rector of Manorbier was Master Richard, Prior of Monkton in 1251.
Acc/to Pembrokeshire parsons.
This benefice was part of the possessions of Pembroke Priory, and on the dissolution of the monastic houses came into the hands of the Crown. On 14 July, 1507, Margaret, Countess of Richmond and Derby, was granted by the King the advowson of the parish church of Manorbier, and at the same time a mortmain licence was granted to her to re-grant it to Christ Church College, Cambridge. — Patent Rolls.
In 1291 this church was assessed at £20 for tenths to the King, the sum payable being £2. — Taxatio.
Manerbyre Vicaria. — Vicaria ibidem unde Johannes Cardigan est vicarius. Et percepit de collegio Christi Cantabr' annuatim in pecuniis viij". Et remanet dare ;£8. Inde decima 16s. — Valor Eccl.
Under the heading 'Livings Discharged':—Manner-bier alias Maenobir alias Manorbeer V. (St. James). Pri. Mouncton Propr.; Christ's College, Cambridge Impr. and Patr. Percipit de Colleg. annuat. in pecun. Clear yearly value £14. King's Books, £8. — Bacon's Liber Regis.
Cross: What may have been a consecration cross is loose in the porch — Visited, May, 1922.
Remains of Buildings in Churchyard.
Manorbier church was granted to the priory Monkton at Pembroke by Sir John de Barri in 1301 and a grange was established here, of which a few cottages are doubtless the survivors.
According to the census of religious buildings 1851 the parish had acreage of 3,493acres and a total population of 698 of which 317 were male and 381 female.
The average congregations were given as 240 which meant that every seat in the church was full. The accommodation had recently been augmented by the erection of a gallery and there was one service a Sunday but the incumbent was not resident.
Parish Registers
Baptisms from 1761
Marriages from 1755
Burials from 1761
Bishops Transcripts 1685-86
Nonconformist Churches.
Quaker - by the end of the 17c meetings were being held at Jameston. Regular monthly meetings were being held in 1714 but were discontinued in 1777.
Baptist - Penuel cause began about 1840, Chapel 1850 - not known where any records are held. William Freeman was the Deacon in 1851 with James Cook as Manager. The Chapel is listed as holding 200 of which 20 were standing and at the evening service was full.
Primitive Methodists - began about 1823, chapel was built in 1828 as part of the Pembroke Dock circuit. In 1851 it had 60 members and records have been deposited at the Pembrokeshire Records office. The chapel could hold 100 of which 20 were standing. In 1851 James Bittle was Chapel Steward.
Independents - began in 1802 first chapel built 1822 but has been rebuilt twice since then. It was a branch of Bethel St Florence and had 40 members in 1873
1794 circa [St Petrox] Church in Wales MS AD/AET 1209 Pembrokeshire life 1572 1843
extract from a Letter from Cha[rle]s Pigott Pritchett, rural dean of Pembroke , to William Stuart Bishop of St David's.
..... The state of the churches in my district is now become so decent and in tolerable order that it is unnecessary for me to trouble your lordship with particulars. I wish I had as good an account to give of many of the vicarage houses. That of Nangle stands in most deplorable condition, next to it Mannerbier, St Twinnels and the vicarage at Stackpole want thorough repairs.
Inventory of the Bishop of St David's 1293 PRO KR E 154/1/48
MAYNORBUR (Manorbier, Pembs.)
1 stack of wheat estimated at 30 cribs worth 105s. at 3s. 6d. per crib.
6 cribs of beans and peas worth 16s. 6d. at 2s. 9d. per crib.
45 cribs of barley worth £6. 3s 9d
8 cribs of oats worth 32s. at 4s. per crib.
Manorbier acc/to Mrs Mary Mirehouse.
Fenton tells us that Manorbier Castle remained in the family of the De Barris (one of whom, William, married Angharad, daughter of Gerald de Windsor and Nesta; two of William's sons took part in the Invasion of Ireland under Strongbow in 1169) till the time of Henry IV, who granted by letters patent to John de Windsor the Manors of Manorbier, Penally, and Begelly; but they did not long remain with him, and changed into many hands during the wars of the Roses. Queen Elizabeth granted Manorbier to Thomas ap Owen of Trellwyn (Trefloyne); his descendant, Thomas Bowen, married a daughter of Sir Erasmus Philipps of Picton, and dying without issue, it went through her to the House of Picton. Many of the freeholders' leases in Manorbier were for a certain rent and seven red roses,' speaking thus to us of the old Lancastrian days; but the castle ceased to be inhabited before the bitter struggle of the Parliamentary wars, thus coming down to us in more perfect preservation as an old Norman baronial residence than have some others.
The name Manor of Bere, or Pyr, is supposed by Fenton to be derived from a member of one of the oldest Welsh clans (Gwynardd), Pyr of Dywrain, or Pyr of the East; the old Welsh name for Caldy Island, Inys Pyr, points to the same. He ridicules as false the legend of the deadly struggle between a man and a bear, to which some trace the name (Man or Bear?), and which certainly sounds improbable
Topographical Dictionary of Wales 1837.
MANORBEER (MAENORBER), a parish in the hundred of Castlemartin, county of Pembroke South Wales, 4 miles (WSW.) from Tenby, containing 582 inhabitants. The name of this place is of very doubtful etymology: Giraldus Cambrensis, who was born here, calls it, in his Itinerary, Maenor Pyrr which he interprets "the mansion of Pyrrus," who, he says, also possessed the island of Caldey. According to Sir Richard Colt Hoare, the name literally signifies the manor of the lords, and appears to be derived from its occupation by the lords of Dyved, who were also proprietors of the neighbouring island of Caldey. By whom the castle was originally built has not been ascertained with any degree of accuracy: it probably owed its foundation to William de Barri, one of the Norman lords that accompanied Arnulph de Montgomery into Britain, and who married the granddaughter of Rhys ab Tewdwr, Prince of South Wales. The castle and manor remained in the possession of that family till the 1st of Henry IV., when they were granted to John de Windsor, but afterwards reverting to the crown, they were, in consideration of a large sum of money, granted by letters patent to Thomas ab Owain of Trellwyn, from whose family they passed by marriage into that of Philipps, the present proprietor. Giraldus, in his notices of this place, quaintly says, "Demetia is the most beautiful, as well as the most powerful, district in Wales; Pembroke, that is the present hundred of Castlemartin, the finest province in Demetia, and the place I have described (Maenorbeer) the most delightful part of Pembroke." The parish is situated on the small bay to which it gives name, in the Bristol channel, and within two miles to the south of the turnpike road leading from Tenby to Pembroke: it contains a moderate portion of good arable and pasture land in good cultivation, and a small tract of hilly and barren waste; and, with the exception of such as are employed in the limestone quarries, which are worked only to a small extent, the population is wholly engaged in agriculture. The stone obtained from these quarries is shipped in small vessels, and sent into Cardiganshire: at Lydstep Haven vessels of one hundred and thirty tons burden can ride in security. Some indications of coal have been observed on the estate of John Adams, Esq.; but the attempts to work it have not been attended with success. The sands on this part of the coast are fine, especially at Lydstep Haven, where they are well adapted for sea-bathing; and the beauty of its situation, and its convenient distance from Tenby, render this a favourite excursion from that watering-place. Within the limits of the parish are two small villages, called Jamestown and Manorbeer Newton. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry and diocese of St.David's, rated in the king's books at £8 endowed with £600 royal bounty, and £1400 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Master and Fellows of Christ's College, Cambridge, who are proprietors of the great tithes, which are now let on lease to John Adams, Esq., of Lydstep House. The church, dedicated to St. James, is an ancient and spacious structure, in the early style of English architecture, with a lofty square embattled tower, and is in a rather dilapidated condition. Close to it, on the south side, is a large ancient edifice, which was in all probability connected with it, but its history is unknown: it may probably have been a chantry or grange, or even some distinct religious house. There are places of worship for Calvinistic and Primitive Methodists. Manorbeer castle, distinguished as the birthplace and for some time the residence of the celebrated Giraldus de Barri, better known as Giraldus Cambrensis, is still an object of interest and attraction The remains occupy an elevated site above the small bay of Manorbeer, of which the castle had full command: they consist principally of portions of the state apartments, the windows of which faced a spacious court, the whole being enclosed with lofty embattled walls, of which the platforms are in some places still entire; the grand entrance, through a gateway flanked with two bastions, of which that on the north side has fallen down; two portcullises, and the moat, which may be distinctly traced. On Old-castle Point, to the east of Manorbeer bay, are the remains of an ancient encampment of small dimensions, probably of Danish origin. Silvester Giraldus de Barri, commonly called Giraldus Cambrensis, was born about the year 1146, and was educated under his uncle, then bishop of St. David's, who sent him to France for the completion of his studies. On his return to England he embraced holy orders, and rose rapidly to distinction in the church: he held successively the offices of legate in Wales to the archbishop of Canterbury, and Archdeacon of St David's, of which see he was afterwards elected Bishop; but the king, fearing to raise to that dignity a man of such talent and influence in the principality, and one so nearly allied to the native princes, his mother having been granddaughter of Rhys ab Tewdwr, Prince of South Wales, refused to confirm his election. He attended Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury, on his mission to preach the crusades throughout Wales, and, during the absence of Richard I. in the Holy Land, was one of the members of the regency. Being again denied the bishopric of St. David's, to which he had been a second time elected, and in the hope of which he had successively refused divers other sees, and the archbishopric of Cashel, in Ireland, he retired from public office to the principality, where he spent the last seventeen years of his life, which he devoted entirely to literary pursuits: he died at St. David's, at the age of seventy- four, and was interred in the cathedral church of that place, where his monument still remains. His writings are numerous, and many of them are still extant; his Itinerary, by which he is best known, has been lately reprinted in quarto by Sir Richard Colt Hoare, Bart., with an elegant English version, accompanied with notes and a catalogue of his writings, with a reference to the several works in which they are preserved. The average annual expenditure for the maintenance of the poor amounts to £271. 19.
Report on Education in Wales 1837.
PARISH OF MANORBEER.—Village School.
On the 22nd of December I visited the above school—it was held in a school-room near the church. The room was very substantially built. The money was raised in part at a bazaar, and in part from the Vicar and landowners in the parish. The room is lighted by three glazed windows. The furniture consisted of desks round the room on the national system—one desk for the master, and one large one in the middle of the room, with benches, all in very good repair. The building was lofty, ceiled, and well ventilated. There was a comfortable fire in the room. The master was an intelligent man. He had been a tailor, but from ill health had been obliged to change his occupation. I heard the children read the second chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel—five of the class (which was composed chiefly of girls) read very well, and four others not at all ill. They answered my questions in Scripture history readily, and the answers in mental arithmetic, by one boy in particular, were very good; three could repeat their Catechism pretty well, but did not seem to understand what they were repeating. One of them said that his neighbour" as his father and mother. Could not tell what two things were to be learnt from the Ten Commandments. There were six learning to read and spell from Vyse's and Mavor's spelling-books, and three more in letters and monosyllables, which, with the eleven who read to me in the Testament, constituted the number present at the time of my visit. Labourers' wages in this parish averaged 7s. per week on their own finding; they were in general a sober and industrious class of men. There were two Dissenting chapels in the parish, one a Primitive-Methodist at Jameston and an Independent at Manorbeer-Newton, but no Sunday-school held in either.
Jameston School—on the 22nd of December I visited the above school. It was held in a room, part of a dwelling-house and lighted by one small glazed window about 10 inches square The furniture consisted of three small tables eight chairs, and two low benches. There was a culm fire in the room, and the steam arising from it when I entered was almost intolerable I examined some copy-books, and the writing, for children so young and with so few advantages was very fair. Five children read the 2nd chapter of Deuteronomy. One (a little girl) read pretty well; but all the boys very ill. The children were excessively ignorant rude, and ill-behaved. I could scarcely get a question answered. Knew who made the world - Did not know who Jesus Christ was. Had never heard of the Virgin Mary. Did not know how many Apostles there were. Had never heard of our Saviour coming on earth. The master here remarked that "it is something like remarkable that you reads, and hears sermons, and don't recollect nothing that you sees or hears".
DAVID LEWIS, Assistant.
Historical Records
Giraldus Cambrensis birthplace Manorbier
Acc/to J Conway Davies Journal of the Historical Society of Wales Vol 2 1950 p54.
Son of William de Barri and the lovely Angharad daughter of Nest wife of Gerald de Windsor, Daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr prince of South Wales
Manorbier was "alarmed" during his boyhood, probably when Tenby was taken by the Welsh in 1153. He is reputed to have taken refuge in the Church. He was the youngest of four Brothers; two of which took part in the Anglo Norman conquest of Ireland. He began his studies under guidance of his Uncle David fitzGerald Bishop of St Davids, then St Peters Abbey, Gloucester and finally Paris.
The locations in Pembrokeshire mentioned by Giraldus in his various works are:
Castles: -
Monasteries: -
Pembroke, Priory of St Nicholas, a cell of St Martin of Seez, Benedictine.
Churches: -
Countess Joan, wife of William de Valance died 1307 September 20.
Inq. Post Mortem, C Edward II File 4(1) (Cal p 21a)
Lands etc of Joan de Valencia, Countess of Pembroke.
m.4 The Marches of Wales. Inq., Thursday after St Luke, 1 Edward
Manynerbir, 17s; payable at the aforesaid two terms; Aymer, etc., is next heir.
1324 August 20 Pembroke
C Edward II File 85
Aymer had in the county of Pembroch 25 1/2 knights' fees and one tenth knight's fee, whereof :
Maynerbir, 5 knights' fees held by John de Barri, worth yearly 100m.
1331 m49
Originalia Roll 3 Edward III m 49 County of Pembroke in South Wales.
The township (villata) of Newton for the chattels of David Calder, clerk, convicted, £4
The township of Newton for the chattels of John Knight, fugitive, 3s 9d
The township of Jameston for the chattels of John Craddok, of Jameston, fugitive, 23s 6d
The same township for the chattels of David, son of Roger, fugitive, 25s 10d
Of the township (villata) of Pennali and Manerbyr for the chattels of Richard de Barry, fugitive, £107 17s 4d
Of the township of Jameston for the chattels of John, son of David le Wayte, fugitive 13s 4d
Of the same township for the chattels of David Hamund, fugitive, 6s 4d
Of the same for the chattels of William Craddok, fugitive, 23s 6d
Of the same for the chattels of William Gerald, fugitive, 20s
Of the same for the chattels of Richard Gerald, fugitive, 13s 2d
1334 Dec 2 8 Edward III
Execution to levy the above debts was made by writ directed to the Justice of South Wales as contained in the memoranda for Michaelmas, 1335 9 Edward III
1331 Oct 14 Westminster
Closed Roll 5 Edward III pt 1 m 2 (Cal p270).
To Richard Simond, steward of the county of Pembroke. Order not to intermeddle further with the manor of Maynerbir and its members of Seint Jameston and Neweton, as the king learns by inquisition, taken by William de Rupe and William de Casse in the steward's presence, that Roger de Mortuo Mari, when he had the custody of the county by reason of the minority of Laurence, son and heir of John de Hastyng', tenant in chief of the late king, on Monday after Michaelmas, in the first year of the king's reign caused to be seized into the king's hands the lands of David de Barry, to wit the manor and members aforesaid because David entered the manor of Penam ...... whereof Richard de Barry had unjustly disseised him, upon the possession of the said Richard of the said manor contrary to the inhibition and prohibition of the said Roger, and for no other cause, and the manor of Maynerbir and the members are still detained in the King's hands, and that David has not remitted his right therein to any one, and has not changed his estate therein in any way, and that the manor and members are held of the aforesaid heir by the service of three Knights' fees, and are worth yearly in all issues £100.
1331 Dec 3 Clarendon
Close Roll 5 Edward III pt 2 m 9d (Cal pp405 6).
To the steward of the county of Pembroke in Wales. Whereas the king lately appointed Gilbert Talbot, his justice of South Wales, John Giffard, William de Rupe, John de Stonford, and William Casse his Justices to make inquisition by the oath of men of that county what evildoers had carried away the goods and chattels of David de Barry at Maynerbir to the value of £500 and had slain Edmund Barry his servant there, etc. and at whose procuration the slaying was done, and who afterwards harboured the evildoers.
1331 Dec 8 Clarendon
Patent Roll 5 Edward III pt 3 m IId, (Cal p 236).
Commissions to Gilbert Talbot, Thomas de Chadesworth and Richard Simon; on information that certain persons have carried away from the castle of Manerbire, Penaly and Carru the goods of Richard Barri, Thomas de Carru and William de Carru, and have forcibly possessed themselves of the lands of these same men, which were lately seized into the king's hands by the steward of the county of Pembroke on account of their outlawry for non-appearance before John Giffard, William de la Roche, John de Stouford and William Casse, justices of oyer and terminer, to answer touching the death of Edmund de Barry and the robbery of goods of David de Barry, at Manerbire, co Pembroke; to discover the guilty persons, to cause them to be arrested, with the aid of the posse comitatus if need be, and imprisoned until further orders, to recover the goods and lands for the king, and to return inquisition of their proceedings herein.
1348 September 24 Pembroke
Writ of certiorari de feodis etc., to John de Shol, escheator in Hereford and the adjacent March of Wales, 24 September, 22 Edward III Extent of all fees and advowsons of churches in the county of Pembroke, made at Pembroke on Thursday in the feast of St Michael de Monte Tumba, 22 Edward III.
Maynerbir 4 1/4 fees held by Oweyn ap Owen and Avice, his wife worth yearly 84m(arks).
1358 May 10
Writ 10 May 32 Edward III, to Henry de Prestewode, escheater in co. Hereford and the adjacent marches of Wales, directing him to enquire of what liberties belonging to the earldom and lordship of Pembroke, the said earl was seized, and who has occupied the same since his death.(Laurence de Hastings died 30 Aug 1348).
Inquisition made at Pembroke, Thursday the feast of St Petronilla, 32 Edward III (31 May 1358).
Manerbyr. The suit of Owen ap Oweyn for the lordship of Manerbyr and all the other liberties forenamed, as pertaining to the said county.
1376 20 November
I.P.M., Edward III, 248, f. 105.
Writ of certiorari de feodis, d. 20 November, 49 Edward III. Edward de Brigg. Extent. 49 Edward III.
4 1/2 knight's fees in Maynorbury, held by Owen ap Owen and Amicia, his wife, worth in gross £22 yearly.
1386 May 15 Westminster
Patent Roll 9 Richard II pt 2 m 12 (Cal p 146).
Grant to Alice de Wyndesore of all the fines and reliefs belonging to the king from the castle of Maynorbyre, co. Pembroke, which county is in the king's hands by reason of the minority of the heir of John de Hastynges, late earl of Pembroke, tenant in chief.
1399 24 March
The bishop granted to Sir Nigel Hornyngton, rector of the parish church of Manerbyr, of his diocese, a licence of non-residence for one year, attending on the service of the noble lord! Lord William Scrope, earl of Wiltshire, for the same time. And he had letters in the usual form.
1400 19 Jan PATENT ROLL, 1Henry IV, pt. 4, m.30 (Cal.,p. 233).
Grant to John Wyndesore and his heirs of the manors of Maynerbier and Pennaly, co. Pembroke, with all rents and services of tenants late of David de Barry, 'chevalier', in Begeley in.
1400 Feb 26 London
Also on 26 February, in the same year and place,
The bishop granted to Sir Nigel Hornyngton, rector of the parish church of Maynerbyr, of his diocese, a license of non-residence f or one year, he applying himself for the same time to general study. And he had letters in the usual form.
Guy etc. to our beloved son in Christ, Sir Nigel rector of the parish church of Maynerbir, of our diocese, greeting, etc.
Commending thy laudable purpose in wishing, as thou dost assert, to practice the study of letters that thou mayest bear seasonable fruit in the church of God, we by the tenour of these presents (to be of no force after the lapse of the year) grant thee special licence to be absent for one year continuously from thy said church and take and hale the fruits, rents and profits of the same, applying thyself in the meantime to the study of letters in the university of Cambridge, provided nevertheless that thou leave a sufficient proctor in the said church to bear the charges incumbent an thee and thy church and the repair of the chancel and manse, and duly answer in thy stead to us and the rest of our ministers and others on account of thy church aforesaid, provided also that in thy absence a fit portion out of the goods of thy same church be ministered truly to thy poor parishioners and that the same church be not defrauded in divine services in the meantime. Dated under our seal at London, 8 February, I401.
1402 Feb 18 Patent Roll, 3 Henry IV, pt. 1, m11 (Cal., p. 44).
Exemplification at the request of Elizabeth, countess of Huntyngdon and the king's knight John de Cornewaill, who has married her, of the tenour of the enrolment on the rolls of Chancery of a writing of John Stevenes, esquire, dated 22 January, 3 Henry IV, granting to her for life the castle, manor, and lordship of Manerbeer, and the manor and lordship of Penale with all members, liberties, profits, commodities, rents, services, reversions and appurtenances in the county of Pembroke, with remainder to John, son of the said countess, and John de Shetland, late earl of Huntyndon, and his heirs.
1406 March 22nd
Also on the 22nd day of the same month, the same reverend father granted to Philip Rosse, rector of the parish church of Maynorberys licence of non-residence in his said church for one year. And he had letters in the usual form.
1408 21 March
On 21 March in the year above said at Haverford by force of a commission of the reverend etc., Richard bishop of London, directed to him on this behalf and his own ordinary authority, the same vicar (Master John Hiot Bishop of St David) set forward the underwritten exchange in form following; Sir Philip Rosse, rector of the parish church of Manorbier of the diocese of St David's and Sir John Hayward, rector of the parish church of St Martin Pomeroy, of the city and diocese of London, resigned their benefices aforesaid for an exchange, to be made with one another etc.,
1484 20 December Patent Rolls, 2 Richard II , pt. 2, m. /9 (Cal., p. 501).
Grant to the king's servant, Richard Williams and the heirs male of his body for his good service against the rebels, of the castle, manor or lordship of Manerbere and Pennalee with its members co. Pembroke of the yearly value of £100. To hold with knight's fees and all its appurtenances by knight service and a rent of £7 10s. yearly.
1488 12 February
Henry etc. to H. bishop of St. David's, greeting:
we command you that you do not for any liberty omit to enter and cause to be levied for us of goods, benefices, and ecclesiastical possessions, of the underwritten churches in your diocese the sums written by parcels below, namely,
of the church of Manorbier 40s.;
of the tenth and moiety of a tenth granted to Sir Edward IV late king of England by the clergy of the province of Canterbury, in the fourteenth year of his reign in the archdeaconry of St. Davids.
And have there then this writ. Witness W. Hody, knight, at Westminster, 12 February in the third year of our reign.
By the Great Roll of the first year of Richard III, in Hereford, and by the Barons.
1489 5 January
On 5 January in the year above, at Lamphey by the reverend father aforesaid, Sir John Dier chaplain, was admitted to the vacant church of Manorbier.
1490 10 July
On 10 July in the year and place above said (Llamphey) he admitted one Sir Phillip ap Ieuan chaplain, to the perpetual vicarage of the parish church of St Martin Manorbier and instituted him in the same etc. then vacant by the resignation of Sir John Dyer last vicar there.
1603 – 25
John Marychurch of Manorbier was cited in the Star Chamber along with his Uncle Sir William Wogan of Wiston and his brothers in law Nicholas and Thomas Adams as defendants in a case of forcible imprisonment of John Master gentleman at Tenby.
1620's John Gwyther of Manorbier was said to have harboured a Catholic Priest.
1631 William Richards was the cleric at Manorbier -- he died there in 1675. The income of the Vicar was £8 per annum and he was regarded as comfortably off compared with many.
1678 The parsonage at Manorbier was regarded as being out of repair.
1721 Thomas Athoe was mayor of Tenby and was later hanged for murdering his nephew.
"Journeying home to Manorbier one night from a troublesome day at the market in Tenby he murdered his nephew".
There had been family rivalry for a while and the dark and narrow bridge over the Ritec was too good an opportunity for settling the quarrel. His trial and execution brought a certain notoriety to the town as he was found innocent by a court in Pembroke and it took the Court of the Kings Bench in Westminister and a New Act of Parliament ordaining "that all murders or robberies committed in, on or about the borders of Wales should be triable in any county in England" to finally bring him to justice.
1762 a yeoman from Manorbier parish appeared before the Great Sessions of Pembrokeshire for stealing from the sloop "Two Partners" wrecked in Lydstep bay, the property of Llewelin Evan, mariner, of Newport parish.
1804 April - 47 ankers of Brandy were seized at Manorbier by the Tide-surveyor of Tenby and his crew.
1811 July Rev Sir Thomas Gery Cullum Bart in his diary, records - "of late years the Castle (of Manorbier) has been appropriated to smuggling, on a most daring scale. The person concerned having hired the castle of the farmer, and having built a house contiguous, used to fill the subterranean apartments and towers with spirits. A number of casks were soon discovered floating in the reservoir. At last, after several seizures, this illicit trade was put a stop to by Lord Cawdor, who was nearly killed in the attempt."
Land Tax
Manorbier Coock Lawrence (owner)
Manorbier Evans William (owner)
Manorbier Jermain Mary (tenant)
Manorbier Jermin Martin (tenant)
Manorbier Lewis Ann (owner)
Manorbier Lewis Ann (tenant)
Manorbier Lewis John (tenant)
Manorbier Milford Lord (owner)
Manorbier Morice John (tenant)
Manorbier Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Manorbier Smith David (owner)
Manorbier Thomas Elizabeth (tenant)
Manorbier Beer Evans William (owner)
Manorbier Beer Phillips Thomas (tenant)
Manorbier Carew Perry John (owner)
Manorbier Glebe Jones Rev George (owner)
Manorbier Glebe land Williams Thomas (tenant)
Manorbier Gumferston Williams James (owner)
Manorbier Hill Llewhelling Nathaniel (owner)
Manorbier Holloway Williams Arthur (tenant)
Manorbier Holylake Cadwallader Thomas (owner)
Manorbier Holylake Davies William (tenant)
Manorbier Jameston Bevan Richard (tenant)
Manorbier Jameston Davies Mary (owner)
Manorbier Jameston Jermain William (owner)
Manorbier Jameston Savel Abra (tenant)
Manorbier Lamphey Tenant John (owner)
Manorbier Lidstep Adams John (owner)
Manorbier Lidstep Llewhelling James (tenant)
Manorbier Lidstep Milford Lord (owner)
Manorbier Lidstep Teague Elizabeth (owner)
Manorbier Lidstep Teague Elizabeth (tenant)
Manorbier Middle Hill Lloyd Francis (owner)
Manorbier Mudmoor Herbert Georg (tenant)
Manorbier Mudmoor Milford Lord (owner)
Manorbier Newton Milford Lord (owner)
Manorbier Newton Wade John (tenant)
Manorbier Norchard Meyrick John (owner)
Manorbier Norchard Roach Nicholas (tenant)
Manorbier Norton Cole Richard (tenant)
Manorbier Norton Pembroke Town (owner)
Manorbier Norton Williams John (owner)
Manorbier Park Gwyther John (owner)
Manorbier Park Gwyther John (tenant)
Manorbier Park Milford Lord (owner)
Manorbier Park Roach Thomas (tenant)
Manorbier Penaly Llewheling George (owner)
Manorbier Ridgeway Davies Lucy (owner)
Manorbier Robins Cross Cook Lawrence (owner)
Manorbier Robins Cross Morice John (tenant)
Manorbier Rock Boston Margaret (owner)
Manorbier Rock Davies William (tenant)
Manorbier Skrinkell Jermain William (tenant)
Manorbier Skrinkell Milford Lord (owner)
Manorbier Slade Milford Lord (owner)
Manorbier Sogar Hay George (owner)
Manorbier Tarr Athoe William (owner)
Manorbier Thorn Hitching Hendry (tenant)
Manorbier Thorn Price Widdow (owner)
Manorbier Trevane Milford Lord (owner)
Manorbier Trevane Price John (tenant)
Manorbier Windhill Raymond Charles (tenant)
Manorbier mill& land Milford Lord (owner)
Manorbier mill& land Phelp John (tenant)
Manorbier the Buras Meyrick John (owner)
Manorbier the Buras Williams John (tenant)
Manorbier Tenements Hicks Rev Philomon (owner)
Manorbier tythe Williams Thomas (tenant)
Manorbier Newton Colby Mrs (owner)
Manorbier Newton Davies Absolam (owner)
Manorbier Newton Davies Stephen (tenant)
Manorbier Newton Griffiths Dorothy (tenant)
Manorbier Newton Jones David (owner)
Manorbier Newton Leach Abraham (owner)
Manorbier Newton Leach Elizabeth (owner)
Manorbier Newton Lewis Stephen (owner)
Manorbier Newton Lewis Stephen (tenant)
Manorbier Newton Marchant George (owner)
Manorbier Newton Marchant George (tenant)
Manorbier Newton Marchant George (tenant)
Manorbier Newton Milford Lord (owner)
Manorbier Newton Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Manorbier Newton Parry Stephen (owner)
Manorbier Newton Phillips John (owner)
Manorbier Newton Wade George (tenant)
Manorbier Newton Wade John (tenant)
Manorbier Newton Cleegers Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Manorbier Newton Cleegers Row Richard (tenant)
Manorbier Newton Hodgeston Hill Rogers Elinor (owner)
Manorbier Newton Holylake Bevans William (tenant)
Manorbier Newton Holylake Jones John (owner)
Manorbier Newton Lake Hall James (owner)
Manorbier Newton Porclew Parry John (owner)
Manorbier Newton Ridgeway Cosher Edward (tenant)
Manorbier Newton Ridgeway Williams John (owner)
Teague Peirce 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Beynon Thomas 1670 Manerbyer Pembrokeshire Hearth h2
Marichurch William 1670 Manerbyer Pembrokeshire Haerth h7
Reede Richard 1670 Manerbyer Pembrokeshire Hearth h3
Rickard Richard 1670 Manerbyer Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Tayler John 1670 Manerbyer Pembrokeshire Hearth h2
Tayler John 1670 Manerbyer Pembrokeshire Hearth h2
Williams Widdowe 1670 Manerbyer Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Adams Alice 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Andrewe Richard 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Athoe Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Athoe Richard 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Bartlet Richard 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h 2
Beynon Margaret 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h1
Bowen George 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h2
Bowen David 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h2
Bray Robert 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearts h1
Burnell Richard 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths 2
Cheere Joane 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Coale Margret 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Coale Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Cornocke John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h1
David William 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
David Laurence 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
David Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
David Jane 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Davis Hugh 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h2
Day Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Day Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Demet William 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths H1
Elliot John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h1
Elliot David 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h1
Froyne Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h1
Griffith Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p1
Gwyther Jennett 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths H2
Gwyther Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Herbert John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h1
Hill Humphrey 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Hitching John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Hitching Jnr William 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Hitching Snr William 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h2
Hitchins John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth p
Howell Griffith 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
James Richard 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
James John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Jones Henry 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Leach Roger 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Lewis Henry 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Lewis David 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Lewis William 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h1
Lewis John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Lewis Edward 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Lewis Anne 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth H1
Llewhelin Richard 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth H1
Llewhelin Jane 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h3
Llewhelin Jane 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h2
Lort (gent) Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth H7
Mant Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Marichurch Maude 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Marichurch Francis 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Maydenhed Edward 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Morgan Evan 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Morgan William 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Phillip William 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Phillipps John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Phillips John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Philp John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Price John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Proute John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h2
Proute George 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h2
Reymond John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h2
Shipman John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth H1
Siddwell Roger 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearts H1
Stedwell Roger 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h1
Tayler Phillip 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Thomas George 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h2
Thomas Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h1
Thomas Jane 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h1
Thomas James 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h1
Thomas Jnr John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h1
Vaughan John 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Voyle Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h3
Webbe Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Welch Nicholas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
White Henry 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Williams Thomas 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths h2
Williams George 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearth h3
Williams David 1670 Manerbyre Pembrokeshire Hearths p
Abraham John 1381 Manorbie rector
de Barry John 1301 Mar 1 Manorbier
Ormond David (priest) 1419 Feb Manorbier
de Bentele John 1382 Dec 24 Manorbier rector
de Pikton Thomas 1383 Dec 1 Manorbier rector
Ikelmyngton John 1397 Sep 5 Manorbier rector
de Hornington Nigel 1399 Jan7 Manorbier rector
Hayward John 1408 Mar 21 Manorbier rector
Cork John 1419 Manorbier rector
Mannyng Thomas 1445 Aug 3 Manorbier rector
Wylkok Thomas 1446 Manorbier rector
Richard Master 1251 Manorbier rector
de Gloucestre Thomas 1340 Oct 6 Manorbier rector
Roger John 1381 Dec 31 Manorbier rector
Aleyn John 1383 Jun 15 Manorbier rector
Sampson John 1384 Dec 10 Manorbier rector
Rosse Philip 1406 Manorbier rector
Pole Owen 1489 Manorbier rector
Dier John 1489 Jan 5 Manorbier vicar
ap Jevan John 1490 Jul 23 Manorbier vicar
Cardigan John 1535-6 Manorbier vicar
Cavoll David 1558 Mar 28 Manorbier vicar
ap John Maurice 1565 Aug 30 Manorbier - vicar
Reilly John 1591 Manorbier vicar
Williams Thomas 1624 Apr 26 Manorbier vicar
Prichard William 1631 May 28 Manorbier vicar
Newton Richard 1675 Oct 22 Manorbier vicar
Evans Reginald 1691 Sep 20 Manorbier vicar
Eynon Thomas 1717 Nov 19 Manorbier vicar
Hicks Philemon 1761 Aug 24 Manorbier vicar
Leach Richard 1794 Jul 11 Manorbier vicar
Hughes Henry 1844 Aug 21 Manorbier vicar
Crockford Francis Rolf 1858 Jun 4 Manorbier vicar
Lamb Henry James 1864 Apr 7 Manorbier vicar
Wratislaw Albert Henry 1879 Mar11 Manorbier vicar
Moore John Leach Mitchell 1888 Jan1 Manorbier vicar
Bromley William 1891 Nov 20 Manorbier vicar
Jones Edward Kinloch 1903 Jan 20 Manorbier vicar
Heaver Herbert 1908 Mar 21 Manorbier vicar
Other Names
Cambrensis Geraldus c1146-1223 Grandson of Nesta ap Rhys ap Tewder
de Barry David pre 1301 Manorbier had son and heir John de Barry
Phillips David 1543 Manerbyre Lay subsidies PRO 223/423 Churchwarden
Jameston - Parish of Manorbier
Inventory of the Goods of the Bishop of St David's 1293 PRO KR E154/1/48.
Apud SCTU JACOBU (St. James-Jameston, Pembs.)
There are in the grange 27 cribs of wheat worth £4.14. 6. at 3s 6d per crib.
6 cribs of beans and peas worth 9s at 3s per crib.
25 cribs of barley worth it s. 9d. at 2s 9d. per crib.
6 cribs of oats worth 27s at 4s per crib.
Total £9.19.3.
Jameston Milford Lord (owner)
Jameston Robeston Elizabeth
Jameston Beavers Hill Lewis Thomas (owner)
Jameston Beavers Hill Thomas Isac (tenant)
Jameston Court Bevans Hester (owner)
Jameston Court Bevans John (tenant)
Jameston Crickaboran Prichard Peter (owner)
Jameston East Moor Gwyther Peter (owner)
Jameston East Moor Gwyther Peter (tenant)
Jameston East Moor Gwyther Peter (tenant)
Jameston East Moor Leach George (owner)
Jameston East Moor Milford Lord (owner)
Jameston East Moor Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Jameston East Moor Voyle Elizabeth (owner)
Jameston Green Grove Mear Griffith (owner)
Jameston Green Grove Webb (widow) Jane (tenant)
Jameston Manorbeer Barlow Mrs (owner)
Jameston Manorbeer Williams John (tenant)
Jameston New House Boston John (owner)
Jameston New House Cadwallader Thomas (owner)
Jameston New House Watching William (tenant)
Jameston Rock Davies William (tenant)
Jameston Rock Lort John (owner)
Jameston Rock Thomas Edward (owner)
Jameston Sunny Hill Byam Martha (owner)
Jameston Sunny Hill Fenwick G.E. (tenant)
Jameston Trevane Price John (owner)
Jameston Warren Phelps William (owner)
Jameston Westmoor Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Jameston Westmoor Williams Sarah (owner)
Jameston Westmoor Williams Sarah (tenant)
1563 60 households.
1670 92 hearths.
1801 97 families.
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Manordeifi(229432) [Jottings]
Small church by river.
Coracle in porch to enable vestments etc to be saved in the event of flooding.
Box pews, squire's has a fireplace.
Memorial to a young officer who met a tiger.
Dedicated at different periods to St Llawddog, St Lawrence and St David, not used since new church consecrated in 1899. Nave, font and chancel early 13c.
Acc/to The old Parish Churches of South West Wales by Mike Salter 1994.
A modern recess in the outside of the 13c west tower contains a monument to the Lewis family. The nave and chancel are also 13c, but the one surviving old window is 15c. The north wall was rebuilt in the 19c.
Survey of South Wales Chantries 1546 by Evan D Jones.
The parishes of Manordyvy and Llanhilnell in the said county of Pembroke
1] The ij frechapelles of Kylleboure and Llangolman
2] Founded to Fynde one Prest for euer And he to haue for his Salary by yere serteyn tithes and oblacions going out of xiiij Tenenentes scituate & being nigh the said ij Chappelles which oblacions doth Amounte to the somme of iiij.li
3] be no Parishe churches the frechapell of Killeboure is distant half a myle from the said Parishe Church of Manordyvy, & yt. ther is ij.c howseling people in the same parishe. And the frechapell of Llangolman is distant half a myle from the said parish Church of Llanhilnell And that ther is abowt a hundred howseling People to the same Paryshe.
Acc/to Pembrokeshire Parsons.
Cilfowyr (Free Chapel )
This chapel would appear to have been from 1394 to 1501 united with Llangolman (which was probably the old name for Capel Colman), as all the presentations are to the two benefices. The presentation of 2 May, 1394 was made by the king; but all the subsequent incumbents were presented by a number of patrons, who were presumably freeholders of the district. In 1594 the chapel was in the queen's hands. Owen Pem.
Libere Capelle de Kyleveweir.—Libere capelle ibidem ex donacione diversorum patronorum ibidem existentium hoc anno in manibus domini Regis percipiend' primos fructus racione vacacionis ejusdem tamen valet dare communibus annis iiij'i. Et quod David Howell clericus asserit se fore rectorem ejusdem. £4 Inde decima 8s. - Valor Eccl.
Cilfowyr chapel has now entirely disappeared, not a stone of the edifice being left to mark the site. The field whereon it stood has been ploughed for years, but the position is known. The chapel was about 400 yard; from the new parish Church of Manordeifi, which was built in 1895. The present impropriator of the title of the chapelry of Cilfowyr, commuted at £60, is Mr. Arthur P. Saunders Davies, of Pentre. The chapel was probable abandoned about the year 1591 — Owen's Pem., Pt. II., p. 297. See under Capel Colman.
Acc/to Pembrokeshire Parsons.
This benefice was at an early date in the patronage of the Earl of Pembroke, and afterwards came into the hands of the Crown.
Under the name of Ecclesia de Manordaun, this church was in 1291 assessed at £6 13s. 4d. for tenths to the king. - Taxatio.
Manerdeyby.—Ecclesia ibidem es presentacione dicte Regine at Eupra [i.e., Marchionisse Pembr'] unde Willelmus Clement est rector valet communibus axis £9. Jade decima 18s — Valor Eccl.
Under the heading 'Livings remaining in Charge':- Manerdivy alias Maenor Deifi R. (St. David). The Prince of Wales. King's Books, £9, £90. Yearly tenths, 18s. — Bacon's Liber Regis.
The old church of Manordeifi is situated on low ground in the valleys of the Teifi, near the river and at the foot of the bank under the present rectory. Occasional services are still held there, but being in the least populous corner of the parish, a new parish church was built in 1895, about a mile from the rectory and near the cross-load on the way to Boncath. This church was opened in 1896. In 1905 the Rev. D, Ambrose Jones, the present rector, restored the falling roof and walls of the old parish church, and in the course of the restoration two windows of Early English type, which had been plastered over and filled up with rough stones and clay, were discovered. One of these windows - a small narrow one - was restored, but the other one - a fine double window - was not interfered with for special reasons.
In 1897 an iron church was erected at Abercych, a village in this parish.
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Manorowen(935364) Jottings
Church - St Mary's small Victorian - lovely setting.
Acc/to The Old Parish Churches of South West Wales - Mike Salter 1994.
Church on ancient foundations but has been completely rebuilt and lack old features.
Acc/to Pembrokeshire Parsons.
This benefice belonged to the Bishop of St. Davids, and was by Bishop Henry Gower, on 17 Feb., 1335, granted to the Subchanter and Vicars of St. Davids Cathedral Stat. Menev.
There is no valuation of this benefice in the Valor Eccl., the only reference to it in that authority being that the College of St. Mary near the Cathedral Church [of St. Davids] received from the Church of Manorawen 50s. a year.
Under the heading 'Not in Charge': - Maner Nawen Cur. (St. Mary). Vicars Choral. £4 certified value. - Bacon's Liber Regis.
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Marloes(785075) Jottings
Acc/to South Pembrokeshire Place Names - P Valentine Harris.
Marloes . Although the Tax. Eccl. spells it Malros; this may be an error, for Owen gives Marlasse and Speed's map Marlas. Marl was once dug here.
Acc/to South Pembrokeshire Place Names - P Valentine Harris.
Philbeach [Filbatch]. (Farm-house near Marloes). Here stood the home of Will ffibatch, who married Sarah, daughter of Robert de Vale, owner of Dale, and chief bard to Sir Rhys ap Thomas, in 1485.
Marloes (785075 ). For many years a quiet and self-contained village; nowadays alive with visitors during the summer months en route for Marloes Sands and Skomer Island. There are some pretty cottages in the village, but the main features of interest are the strange clock tower and the little church. Marloes Sands are magnificent, although no vehicle can approach the beach. Musselwick Sands also somewhat difficult of access, are becoming popular nowadays. Martin's Haven, which has only a stony beach, is the departure point for the Skomer Island boats.
Strange clock tower.
The little Church of St Peter's stands on a mound. The 13c chancel slightly skewed. There is a Norman font. It was renovated 1874. Baptistery for total immersion built.
Glynne, Welsh Churches 1856 p 107.
The plan comprehends a nave with north chapel, a north and south transept, and a chancel, with a belfry over the west end, which has two recesses but one bell. The church is some length, and the north chapel and transept range as an aisle outwards. The chancel arch is most rude but pointed, with stone blocks against each side of it, upon a plinth; and a square aperture into the nave on the north side. There are rude segments of arches opening north and south of the chancel communicating with the transepts by odd passages which cut off the angles and form very large hagioscopes. There is a stone seat continued along the south hagioscope. There is also a stone seat along the west end of the nave. The external walls are white-washed.
RCAM Pembroke 1920 No 657.
In 1874 the upper portion of the walls was rebuilt, and a baptistery sunk at the west end; modern windows were inserted and the walls cemented. Both transepts have squints to the chancel, each lighted by a small opening. The chancel arch is high and sharply pointed; on each side is a rude corbel; the chancel has a barrel vault.
Screens Lofts and Stalls 1947 Crossley and Ridgeway.
The church is cruciform in plan with a chancel arch in the eastern crossing. The hagioscopes are both lit by windows. The width of the chancel arch is 9' 4", on either side of which are the remains of a low stone screen 27" each in width, leaving a narrow opening into the chancel of 4' 10". The screen work is of plain masonry 42" in height and 30" in thickness, being the same thickness as the chancel arch wall. The building seems little different from Glynne's description in 1856.
Acc/to The old Parish Churches of South West Wales by Mike Salter 1994.
The nave containing a Norman font, the vaulted chancel, and the transepts with squints are all 13c but the east wall and the external openings are renewed.
In the past the local smugglers the "Marloes Gulls" were notorious and formed one of the main occupations of the area but until the draining of the marshes a local industry (other than smuggling ) was the gathering of leeches used by the Doctors of the time for blood letting.
An early 18c a Haverfordwest doctor records that the people of Marloes had used a primitive form of inoculation against smallpox for longer than anyone could remember.
South Wales H L V Fletcher 1956.
Marloes Sands has fascinating rock formations, some fossils can be found.
Albion Sands named after a Paddle steamer (first in the area) which foundered on her maiden voyage in c1840 part still visible.
Acc/to The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park by Dillwyn Miles.
The most westerly village in south Pembrokeshire. Has a clock-tower built in 1904 in memory of the 4th Lord Kensington, and a double bell-cote church which has a Norman font and a baptistery sunk in the floor. Marloes Mere was once famous for its leeches which were much in demand in Harley Street.
Acc/to Pembrokeshire Parsons.
The Church of Malros with other churches was originally acquired by Bishop Thomas Wallensis from laymen, and together with the churches of Haroldston and Nevern in
Pembrokeshire and of Llangunnor and St. Ishmanel in Carmarthenshire was appropriated by that bishop on 11 Mar. 1380 to the chantry or college of St. Mary of St. Davids. — Stat. Menev. On 20 Feb., 1389, letters patent were granted licensing the appropriation of Marloes and Haroldston.—Pat. Rolls. On the dissolution of the college, Marloes Church came into the hands of the Crown.
Under the name of Ecclesia de Malros, this church was in 1291 assessed at £16 for tenths to the King, the sum payable being £1 12s Taxatio.
Marlos.—Vicaria ibidem ex collacione collegii dive hlade prope ecclesiam Cathedralem Menevensem unde David Moris clericus est. vicarius et habet ibidem parvam mansionem sine terra. Et valet fructus hujus ec.clesie ad partem vicarii communibus annis cvj8 Viljd. Inde sol' in visitacione ordinaria quolibet tereio armo 1d. Et in visitacione archidiaconi pro sinodalibus et procuracioni-bus quolibet anno vsixa. Et remanet clare 100s. 1d. Inde decima 10s. 0d.—Valor Eccl.
Under the heading 'Livings Discharged':—Marlos V. (St. Peter). Ordinario quolibet tertio anno, 10d. Archi-diac. quolibet anno, 5s. 8d. Colleg. St. David's olim Propr...prince of Wales. Clear yearly value, £20, £30 King's Books, £5. — Bacon's Liber Regis.
In Lewis's Topographical Dictionary it is stated that a former structure, dedicated to St. Mary and situated near the beach, was destroyed by an encroachment of the sea, which also laid waste the glebe land originally belonging to the living.
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MartletwySt Marcellus (SN 035106) Jottings
Acc/to South Pembrokeshire Place Names - P Valentine Harris.
The dedication of the parish church is said to be to St. Marcellus, but should more probably to St. Martin. The festal period of Martinmass is frequently called Martelmas.
Acc/to The old Parish Churches of South West Wales by Mike Salter 1994.
The chancel south windows and round chancel arch are of c1200. The north aisle with a two bay arcade is 13c. The north chapel and porch are late medieval.
1291 the Church was assessed at £9 6s 8d - Taxatio.
The church of Martletwy was granted to the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem by John the Son of Raymond (Amselm Confirm charter). This grant was confirmed by Bishop David Martin on 20 Sep 1301 and by Letters Patent of Edward III on 8th Feb 1330.
On the dissolution of the monasteries the living came into the hands of the Crown and was sold to John Barlow son of Roger Barlow who had purchased the Slebech property.
1317 Peter Filliol
1488 Apr 20 John Philip
1535 6 Rice Davy
? James Lawrence
1564 Aug 19 William Maddocke
1632 Jul 29 Humphrey Prichard
1668 Jun 18 Absolem Griffith
1702 Mar 7 John Davis
? Henry Bowen
1718 Nov 10 John Williams
1771 Mar 20 Richard Gibbon
1802 Aug 30 Daniel Davies
1846 Apr 1 James Hudson Malet LLD
1879 Aug 25 Moses Arthur Rees
1891 Jun 2 Fredrick Owen Thomas MA
1903 Feb 21 Morgan Richards BA
1906 Mar 1 Edward Alexander Weale BA
Babe Mathias 1543 Mertilltwye (Martletwy) Lay subsidies PRO 223/423 Churchwarden
Smith Robert 1543 Mertilltwye (Martletwy) Lay Subsidies PRO 223/423 Churchwarden
Acc/to Pembrokeshire Parsons.
The church of Martletwy was granted to the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem by John, the son of Raymond. — Anselm's Confirm Charter. This grant was confirmed by Bishop David Martin on 20 Sept., 1301 (Which was confirmed by letters patent of Edward III. on 8 Feb., 1330.—Pat. Rolls), who, with the consent of the Chapter, authorized the appropriation of the church of Martletwy to the master and brethren of St. John of Jerusalem at Slebech; the master to present to the Bishop, on any voidance, a fit clerk to be instituted vicar, who should have his portion without ordinary or extraordinary burdens, namely a house, garden, and three acres of land, with tithes of wool and other things pertaining to the altar; tithes of corn, hay, and other things pertaining to the altar being reserved to the master and brethren. On the dissolution of the monasteries the living came into hands of the Crown, by whom it was sold to John Barlow, the son of Roger Barlow, who purchased the Slebech property
In 1291 this church was assessed at £9 6s. 8d. for tenths to the King, the amount payable being 18s. 8d. — Taxatio.
Martelltwy Vicaria. — Ecclesia ibidem ex collacione preceptorie de Slebeche unde Richaldus Davy est vicarus Darius valet per annum in sua porcione iiij0. Inde sol' nihil quia exempt', Inde decima 8s. — Valor Eccl.
Under the beading 'Livings Discharged':—Martletwy alias Martelwy alias Martletwy V. (St. Marcellus). Val- 0 per ann. in port. Praeceptor Slebech Propr.; John, Barlow, Esq., 1718; The Bishop by lapse, 1771; Sir William Hamilton. Clear yearly value, £16. Books, £4. — Bacon's Liber Regis.
On 4th April, 1896, a faculty was obtained restoration of this church.
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Mathry(880320) Jottings
(The Martyrs village ???) (has this any connection with the tale of the lanes around Croesgoch running red with Martyrs blood). On a hill overlooking the North coast.
Massive squat Church on prehistoric circle. Dedicated to the Holy Martyrs rebuilt 1867. Church tower was blown down in a gale.
Iron age settlement. An early Christian site and an important medieval village. Old 7-9c ring cross slabs in churchyard wall and an Ogham stone in church porch.
Giraldus Cambrensis held prebenal.
17th c plague of locusts.
South Wales - H. L. V. Fletcher 1956.
Mathry - There is a story that it was here that St Teilo rescued seven children "born at a birth" whom their father was going to throw in the river as he was unable to support them as he already had a large family. All seven if the legend is true became saints.
The village is perched on a hill summit, enjoying wide views over the north coast and Pen Caer. The church (on a prehistoric circular site) is very unusual - massive and squat. A good centre for holidaymakers, with a wood-turners's workshop, an antique shop, and farmhouse teas.
Acc/to The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park by Dillwyn Miles.
A hill top village with wide views over the surrounding countryside. Its circular churchyard may well have taken its shape from a pre-historic site. The church is dedicated to the Seven Saints, septuplets saved from being drowned by their impecunious father when St Teilo came upon scene and baptised them instead. An inscribed stone in the church porch commemorates Maccudicl the son of Caticus, who lived in the 6thC and there are two stones inscribed with crosses in the churchyard walls.
Acc/to Pembrokeshire Parsons.
This vicarage has been from the earliest date in the patronage of the Bishop of St. Davids, and the stipend of the vicar was provided by the prebendary of the Golden Prebend, as the prebend of Mathry was called only account of its excellent Corpus.
Described as Ecclesia de Martre, this church was assessed at £26 13s. 4d. for tenths to the King in 1291, the sum payable being £2 13s. 4d. — Taxatio.
Marthre Vicana.—Resus Owen, cleticus vicarius pes-petues ejusdem prebende de Marthre habet in caseo rnelle piscibus OVtS lineo et similibus Ser ams
2Ctjs iitjd per annum de reddltibus mansionis et terrars sm ad vicariam ibidem spectan iil OE Inde in visitacion archidiaconi quolibet anno pro sinodalibus. Et remanet clare £4 6s. 7d. Inde decirna 8s. 8d. — Valor Eccl.
Under the heading 'Livings Discharged':—Merthis alias Marthtey alias Mathery V- (Holy Martyr). Syn. quolibet anto, ss. gd Annexed to Granstone alias Grarldeston
Bishop of St. Davids, 1741- Prebendaly thereof, Impr. and Patr. Clear yearly value, £12- King's Books, £4 7s. 6d —Bacon's Liber Regis.
On 27 July, 1564, a lease of the parsonage and prebend of Mathry with a cursal prebend was granted by Thomas Barlow, parson and prebendary of Mathry, to John Barlow of Slebech, Esq., for 21 years, at a rent of £24, the lessee to allow the vicar of Mathry to 'occupy one draught of toothe' within his said parish, commonly called 'Danndre', which draught Sir William Davie late had as an augmentation for his living; or to pay the vicar 40s. at the election of the vicar, the lessee also to pay yearly, during the said term, 20s. towards the stipend of 'a schoolmaster to be kept in St. Davids.' On 6 Nov., 1567, a new lease was granted to the same lessee for 40 years, on the same terms; presumably on a surrender of the previous lease.
On 27 Nov., 1903, a faculty was granted, confirming the work of match-boarding the roof of Mathry Church.
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Acc/to The Old Parish Churches of South West Wales -- Mike Salter 1994.
Church on ancient foundations but has been completely rebuilt and lack old features
Acc/to Pembrokeshire Parsons.
Meline Rectory was appendant to the barony of Kemes, the lord of Kemes and the free tenants, the freeholders, of the parish having the right of alternate presentation to the living.—Owen's Pems.
Mylene.—Ecelesia ibidem ex presentacione domtni de Awdeley unde Christoferus Taylor est rector valet dare cum gleba £10. Inde decima 20s.—Valor Eccl.
Under the headings 'Livings Discharged' -:—Meleney alias Mylen alias Melillau alias Meline R. (St. Dogmael). Thomas Lloyd, Esq., 1704, as Lord of Kemys; the Free-holders of the parish, 1735; Thomas Lloys Esq., and Anne, his wife, 1759; the Freeholders, 1783. Clear yearly value, £34. King's Books, £10.—Baron's Liber Regis.
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Milford Haven(The Haven) [Jottings]
This name is derived from the ancient Norse 'Mille Fiord' (the Haven of the Thousand Fiords), and it is aptly so named, for the bays and creeks and indentations spread out on every side, and the main channel wanders like a river, branching high up into two channels, where it formerly bore the name of Aberdaugleddau, the Haven of the Two Swords: Gledheu being the old British word for a sword: the little river whose two branches feed the Haven being called the Cleddau, from the same source.
I have left the following in the old English:-
George Owen, writing in 1595, says in a 'Pamphlet containing the description of MylfordHaven': "I conceave three places chiefflie fit to be fortified that is Ratt Iland (also called Thorne Iland) the Stack and Dale Poynt." He everywhere speaks of 'The Nangle, 'not Nangle. As to the 'Iland,' he makes an error. Thorn Island, more commonly called Thorney (Ey, island), is distinct from Rat Island, which is a mere rock, nearer the Haven's mouth. Of Thorney, calling it Rat Island, he says, 'The said Iland Iyeth verie neere levell but not fullie of the faire rode of St. Mary well, soe that I crossinge over in a boate from the stack to the Nangle bay I lost the sight of Rat Iland a good space before I came neere the land whereby I guessed that if a forte were builded upon Rat Iland it could not annoy ships riding in St. Mary Well roade, but to that the Maryners that carried us over being Nangle men, and expert in the harborowe, answered that noe great shyppinge could ryde soe neare the shore there by reasons of the shallowes but that they must made within viewe of Rat Iland.'
- Further: 'The Stack is a rock or rydge of Stone, further up within the Haven and standeth between Iadie Chapped (St. Mary lodge) and Southhooke pointe, but somewhat more West and lower downe than Southhooke poynte".
Further: 'It is thought that St. Mary Well rode is within Culveringe Shotte of the Stacke.'
Further: 'Few ships are seene to passe on the North side of the Stacke . . . but the Masters of the Harborowe tell us that they may well passe . . . for there is water sufficient and noe danger.'
Further: 'Shippe Iland is semperinsula, yt is an Island at full sea but not at lowe water . . . between yt and the mayne there is another peece of grounde and a greate ditch or trench betwixt yt and the mayne land verie hard to come to where there standeth the remnant of a towre built upon the entrance thereof as it seemeth, serving for a forte or defence of the same, and from the same peece of grounde you may goe into Shippe Iland dry foote at half ebbe but not without a ladder for the hard ascending of the same, but at every full sea the same is compassed about by the sea; the neighbours here reporte that the same was a place of retrete for the Countrey people in olde time to save them and their cattell from the Welshman that then often assaulted them.... On the North side of this Shippe Iland . . . aloft on the toppe of the Cliffe . . . is seated the Easter Blockhouse, commonly called Nangle blockhouses overlookinge all the entrance or havon's Mouth, being a rounde turrett never yet finished made in K.
Hen. ye 8th his tyme for to impeach the entrance into that havon, but in most men's judgment to noe good purpose for that it stoode soe highe above the full sea marke . . . West Pille Roade is a little roade on the west parte of Nangle towne and standeth neere Ratte Iland, between yt and the South blockhouse, yt is a little Creeke or Pille full of Rockes turnynge into the land, but neere the same there is a place for Shippes to ride upon necessitie, but few shyppinge useth to staye there, for that it is in the havon's mouth in effecte . . St. Mary Well roade is the chiefest roade in Mylford and safest upon most VVindes large and good Ancker hould and about XVI fathoms water alwaies it recheth from Rat Iland to the entrance of the Nangle Baye which is XII. furlonges and more. . .The Stack standing neere against the middle thereof so yt a forte upon the Stacke were able to comande that rode. :; . The OycterStones is a danger at the entrance of the Mowth of Nangle Baye and it is three stones Iyeing in the waye somewhat nearer to the Nangle pointe than to the other side, they first appeare at three quarters ebbe and are lockt at a quarter flood, the maesters of that havon are driven to come in by speciall markes for feare of this danger, but by reason that there cometh noe great shippinge nor any strangers to that Creeke, but onely smale boates of the harborowe there is no great accompt made of this danger. . . . Popten pointe is the Easter pointe of the Mowth of Nangle havon soe called of a little village neere the same called wester Popton upon this pointe there is an ould trench or sconce of earth . . . The havon of Nangle is noe harborowe but a drye baye at every ebbe, soe that there is not rode or riding for any ships but verie good landing all along the Creeke from half flud to full sea but before half fud it is all owse and slime saving neere the towne, where is good landing at all tymes of the tyde; there are noe such smale Creekes to be seen within the baye as Mr. Saxon in his Mappe hath noted downe....
'Crosward is a pointe on the wester side of Martyn's havon, yt is a rode for smale barkes and not for greate shippinge.... Martin's havon is a little Creeke that cometh up to Pwllcrochan Church, it is but a smalle landing place.... Pennar Mowth is the Creeke that cometh up to Pembrook towne this is the greatest and largest Creeke in all Milford, it passeth up into the land three myles and more, at the upper end it parteth into two branches and compasseth the towne and caster of Pembrook serving the
said towne for a mote or strong ditch off every side thereof. A barke of XL or Lt tunne may enter this Creeke at lowe water and ryde at Ancker at Crowe Poole, but noe further without helpe of the tyde....
'The Crowe is a hollowe or shelfe a pretty way within the entrance of Pennar Mowth . . . and it is an oyster bed, and on the Crowe groweth one of the best oysters of all Milford, being a bigg and a sweet oyster, the poore people thereabouts are greatly relieved by the oysters there, for upon lowe water the bed is drye, and the people gather the oysters there without any dredge or otherhelpe of boate.. ..
'The Carne is a rocke or ridge of stones on Pembrook side above Patrichurch a flight shoote in the Channell within the full sea marke. It is a danger, and the greatest in Milford; it is locked at half flood, but ells open.... The Carne Pointe is the pointe beneathe the ferry house, and
Denveen yt ane the ferry (Pembroke Burton Ferry) there is a Creeke (Cosheston creek) entering eastward and is lowe land and good landing there.
Goode landinge Slibberigl Cave. Goode on the east side of the bight beneth Hubberston called Con Jooke. Indifferente the east and west side of Gelly's weeke. Badd, South hooke pointe.
'The Earle of Pembrook, when he was President of Wales, sought to have this Harborough fortified, soe did Sir Jn. Perrott; they had licence, and should have had meenes to doe yt from Queen Eliz.: but that the death of the one and the downfall of the other did disappoint it.'
Slibbeng' = 'slippery'; 'Jooke' = 'yoke,' both flemish, The cave was two hundred yards west of Cunjeck beach, now filled up.
The confounding of the names of Rat and Thorn Islands is very curious, and he persists in it throughout; perhaps the 'Maryners of the Nangle ' misled him on this point. St. Mary's Well and Chapel are close to the site of the present Chapel Bay Fort; the well still exists, and traces of the masonry of the chapel, now built upon, could be seen a few years ago. The new fort of East Blockhouse stands immediately behind the old unfinished one of Henry VIII.'s time whose walls still remain standing, the mortar in them is of extraordinary hardness. The 'towre' on the approach to Sheep Island is gone, but rough stone walls and earthworks of the ancient refuge can still be seen. Popton Fort now occupies the site of the 'ould trench or sconce of earth,' and Nangle bay is as it was, save that there is no longer any landing 'neere the towne' except at actual high water. In several other paragraphs besides the one quoted he differs from 'Mr. Saxon and his Mappe, of whom he does not appear to hold a high opinion! The Carne (or Carrs) Rocks have now been joined to the Dock-yard by a jetty built out upon them and are no longer a danger to shipping. The old Chapel of St. Anne, on the western point of the Haven's mouth (which Owen curiously does not mention, nor does he allude to Dale), was demolished in Queen Anne's time to make room for the first light-houses. These were rebuilt in 1800.
In a letter dated August 11, 1485, from Richard III to Henry Vernon, a squire of his body, he says "Our rebelles and traitoures departed out of the water of Sayn (Seine) the first day of this present moneth making their cours westwardes ben landed at Nangle besides MylCord Haven on Soneday last passed as we be credibly enfourmed."
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Milford Haven(The Town) (905060)
[Jottings but parts about Pille Priory and Nelson published as a booklet 1997].
Acc/to South Pembrokeshire Place Names - P Valentine Harris.
Milford Haven. c1190, Gir. Camb. Milverdicus portus.
1291 - 31- Milford. The 'ford' is endoubtably N. fiord,' (Cf. Waterford) and the first part may be O.Sc. melf sandbank,' not OE. myln, 'mill.'
Pilla or Pille Priory
Near Herbranston in the parish of Stainton founded by Adam de Rupe or de la Roche endowed by him with considerable possessions in the territory of Roos.
Dedicated to St Mary and St Budoc at first established for the monks of the Order of Tyrone who later forsook the strict rule and became common Benedictines. Although some authorities (Speed and Reyner) say it was subordinate to St Dogmaels this was unlikely as in 26th Henry VIII it was credited with having distinct revenues of its own to the value of £67 15s 3d per annum total and £52 2s 5d clear.
Fenton is incorrect on his statement about the disposal of the property at the dissolution.
Tanner records that Pille & Haverfordwest priory were granted in the 38th Henry VIII to Roger and Thomas Barlow.
Orig 38 Henry VIII 5 Penbroke MS Donat Mus Brit 6366 fol 272.
Rex xxvj die Junu concessit Roger Barlowe et Thomas Barlowe illud maneruim sive praeceptor de Slebiche, ac rectorias 7c de Slebeche Bulston et Martheltwy, ac etiam maneruim et rectoriam de Mynwere ac scit &c prioral de Pyll & Monasterii de
Haverfordwest, et scit. nuper Domus Fractrum de Haverford habend eis, haered et assign suis imperptuim ro ixij.
(Thomas Barlow is described as Clerk of Catfeld in the county of Norff. Roger Barlow gent. of Slebych).
In 1790 Sir William Hamilton, a local landowner, whose first wife was a Barlow, obtained permission from Parliament to establish a market and port close to the old settlements of Hubberston and Pill. So Milford was born, built largely through the initiative of Sir William's agent Charles Greville. In the early days the commercial growth of the port was connected with the sperm-oil industry, run by a group of Quaker whalers from Nantucket. There was also a Naval Shipyard here, but this moved to Pembroke Dock in 1814 and Milford never developed as a successful port in its own right. The docks were not completed till 1888, but during the early part of this century Milford was one of Britain's main fishing ports. After years of stagnation the town received a great boost with the coming of the oil industry in the late 1950's and 1960's. Now oil refineries dominate the skyline and jetties dominate the waterway. The town itself is pleasant and airy, carefully planned (as befits a "new town") with three parallel main streets and with large housing areas across the pill in the Hubberston-Hakin area. St. Katherine's Church (1808) is devoid of charm, but far more interesting is the little fisherman's chapel accessible from The Rath - this may be one of the oldest religious buildings in Pembrokeshire. In Hakin there is a ruined Observatory but the most interesting local building is Hubberston Fort (one of "Palmerston's Follies") next to the Conservancy Board HQ.
Previously there used to be a priory at Pill (see brother Walter).
Acc/to The Monasticm Order in South Wales 1066 -1348 F G Cowley
Pille Priory was founded by Geva mother of Robert fitz Martin between 1113 and 1115 and with Caldy were attached to St Dogmael's
The assessed value given for Pill in 1291 was £24 4 11d but this raises the question of whether it was actually subordinate to St Dogmaels.
Appropriated Churches belonging to Pille
Steynton £18 0 0d
Roch £13 6 8d
New Moat £4 13 4d
Newcastle £8 0 0d
1415. 11 August
Exchange of benefices. Institution of Sir William Carpenter to the church of Johnston on the presentation of the Prior and Convent of the Blessed Mary of Pill and of Sir William Lightfote to the church of Treffgarne on the presentation of Hugh Burgh lord of the manor of Treffgarne. Given at Portchester.
Brother Walter - Prior of the Benedictine priory of Pill near Milford.
Little is known of this priory till the 14c-- It was founded by Adam de Rupe or de Roche and had the old parish church of Hubberston as part of its endowment.
In the 14c tongues began to wag at the scandalous doings of the Prior, and the matter came to the ears of the Bishop of St Davids. He conducted a visitation in 1405, as a result of which the Prior was sternly admonished to mend his ways. So hardened was the Prior that he appears to have taken not the slightest notice of his superior, who, a year and a half later was forced to write to him-
"We say it with grief that thou, brother Walter, prior aforesaid has not troubled to observe in your persons such injunctions.... but has lightly presumed daily and dost still presume to infringe and violate them... to the scandle of thy order".
Then followed a long catalogue of the Priors Misdeeds.
The Bishop pointed out that although it is written "maintain parents" it does not mean that the Prior should take them to live with him in the priory, and spend the income of the priory on them.
Still less should he entertain quarrelsome friends there and "wickedly consume the goods of the said priory with Joan Moris, wife of John Hicke they paramour, whom thou has held in adulterous embraces for some years".
So lavishly had the Prior converted the priory's income to his own use that it had become heavily in debt, and he "sorely oppressed" any of the monks who criticized him and allowed those who meekly acquiesced to go in or out just as they pleased without question.
3 June, 1405
Guy, etc., to the prior and convent of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pylle in Ros, of the order of St. Benedict of Tiron, of our diocese, greeting etc.
Whereas by grace of observing the rule of our profession we are stirred up by salutary precepts and monitions that watchful for the flock entrusted to us we may with exact diligence purge out novelties and errors which have grown up in the past times especially amongst religious men, we on 23 April, 1405, and following days, made a visitation in very deed of your priory aforesaid by certain commissaries. In order therefore that the defects and excesses found in your priory aforesaid in such our visitation canonically carried out by such our Commissaries may by the help of the Divine mercy be brought into a better state, Master Robert Rawlyn, canon of our church of St. Davids, our vicar general in spiritualities (we being then for necessary causes engaged in distant parts) by our authority, canonically drew up for you the injunctions, monitions, precepts and mandates written below and charged and commanded under the pains and censures contained in the same that these be observed by you and every one of you for your good, nevertheless it has several times come to our ears by the testimony of faithful men, by public report and by notoriety of fact (we say it with grief) that thou brother Walter, prior aforesaid, hast not troubled to observe in your person such injunctions, monitions, precepts and mandates, admitted in the first instance by receipt and both tacitly and expressly, but hast lightly presumed daily and dost still presume to infringe and violate them in many ways to the great peril of thy soul, a pernicious example to very many, the scandal of thy order, the diminution of public worship, and the grievous damage of the before said priory, prodigally consuming the goods and jewels of the same. Wherefore we have charged and enjoined on thee, over and above the former command, in virtue of holy obedience and under the pains and censures contained in the same injunctions, etc., that thou observe all and singular the things included in the same concerning and relating to your person, and especially that thou abstain altogether from all and all manner of alienation of the temporal goods of the said priory, that thou presume not to violate our said sequestration duly and lawfully imposed by the aforesaid Master Robert Rawlyn, vicar etc., on the goods of the said priory because thou didst before that notoriously dissipate and waste these and there is every reason to fear that thou wilt so waste these in future and to be observed by thee, as is aforesaid, under the penalties in the constitution of the Holy Fathers in thast behalf duly published [and] that thou cause the relics, jewels, ship and other goods of the said priory which have been unduly alienated by thee, beyond and contrary to such injunctions, etc., to be at once restored to the priory.
And inasmuchas we have found the aforesaid William Scheperd, fellow-monk and cellarer of the said priory, Walter Jordan, Sirs Thomas Heth and William Lyghtfot, rectors of Talbenny and Jonyston, powerless to keep our said sequestration, without other help, on account of the might, rebellion and disobedience of the said prior, by the tenour of these presents we add to them the noble man Sir John Wogan, knight, and Sir William Meylor, vicar of Steynton, committing unto the same, in the lord, the keeping of the said sequestration. Wherefore to you Sir John, brother William, Walter and Sirs Thomas, William and William, firmly enjoining we commit and command that you solemnly publish at places and times most suitable for this that our said sequestration has been and is imposed so as is aforesaid, [and], that keep such goods, fruits, rents, tithes and ablations and profits, sequestrated so as is aforesaid, under strait and safe sequestration, until you have other Command from us upon this ,as you will answer of and for the same at your peril when this shall be required of you on our behalf, provided nevertheless that in the meantime the said priory be laudably served in divine offices and that the charges incumbent thereon be duly supported by the said brother William the cellarer, as is contained in the same injunctions, monitions, precepts and mandates, of the said Master Robert, our vicar general in spiritualities; inhibiting openly, publicly, and expressly, every one from lightly presuming to violate in any manner whatever such our sequestration, under the penalties in this behalf duly published in the constitutions of the Holy Fathers. The tenours truly of the same injunctions, etc., follow under this form:—
Robert Raulyn, bachelor in decrees, etc., to the religious men brothers Walter Robjoy, of the priory of the Blessed Mary etc., (as above) directly subject to the jurisdiction of the ordinary, John Hygyn, William Schepherd and Henry Wratkyn, fellow-monks of the same priory, and forming the convent in the same, sends greeting in the Lord and that ye firmly obey these presents. Whereas in a visitation, ordinary and fatherly, in your said priory now lately exercised judicially and in very deed by certain commisionaries with sufficient authority of the said reverend father been previous complaints, we have found some defects, ,negligences omissions, relaxations and excesses needing necessary reform: and correction, by which if they be not met by a speedy remedy the said priory will incur perpetual ruin and hurt in ritual and temporal things (which be far from it) and loss for which cause we wishing to meet such perils and losses by authority of the said father whose powers we bear,send you our injunctions upon the premises written below, firmly enjoying on you and every one of you in virtue of the holy obedience in which you are bound to the said father and under penalty of the greater excommunication which (the canonical monition having been already given) we pass in these writings and publish, from now as from then and from then as from now, upon your persons if (which be far from you) you will not or trouble not to obey our monitions and injunctions written below, and upon the person of that one of you who among you will not or does not trouble to but neglects to obey, firmly enjoining that you receive humbly our injunctions written below so far as they concern you jointly or each one of you, and render obedience to and obey the same with effect.
First of all, because by the findings of the same visitation, we have found that thou brother Walter, prior beforesaid, throughout the time and from the time of thy rule and appointment there, hast administered alone, laid out at the peculiar pleasure and decree of thy will, and expended as though they were thine own, all and singular the goods of the said priory spiritual and temporal which ought to be in common among you, and throughout the time aforesaid and so for eight years and more thou hast rendered no account or reckoning of such thy stewardship and administration, above and contrary to the rules of religion and the canonical sanctions, and the said priory (we record it with sorrow) because of thy prodigality and other things which for the present we do. not mention, is burdened with a huge debt, but what and how large this is, is entirely unknown on account of such omission of any reckoning of account and the default among you, the metropolitans. Wherefore we wishing, as we are bound, to apply a seasonable remedy for such you perils enjoined on you , among other things , strictly charging you [in the name] of the said father, that in all time to come in your same priory one of you whom the prior and the greater and saner party of the monks shall see fit to elect among them shall be appointed yearly to be cellarer, who for his time shall receive all goods of the said priory pertaining to the office of the cellarer, within and without and expend and lay out these towards the sustenance of the prior and his monks, according to the estate and requirement of each one, and the common benefit of the house, and hospitality according to such discretion as is given to him; and the same cellarer, twice every year, namely, within eight days after the feasts of St. Michael and the Apostles Philip and James, or oftener if expedient, shall be bound, whatever be his estate or degree even though he be the prior, to render a faithful account and reckoning before the prior and his confreres, of his receipts, expenses and payments, under penalty of perpetual disability from advancement to any degree or estate, or dignity, in the same priory, removal and deprivation from any degree or dignity already held, unless there be reasonable cause. And because in the appointment of such cellarer in times past, we have found that you the prior and monks have been negligent and remiss, and have tolerated the grave damage and injury to the priory by such sole administration without rendering of account, we, as we are bound in this behalf, supplying your defect, ordain and depute brother William Scheperd, your fellow-monk and confrere, especially discreet and prudent at the same time as we have learned by the report of very many, to be cellarer of your same priory and by these presents have appointed him cellarer, committing to him the administration of all goods of the said priory pertaining to the office of cellarer, within and without, by view nevertheless of the discreet men Walter Jordan and Sir Thomas Heth, William Lyghtfot rectors of Talbenny and Jonyston, in whose hands we have sequestrated and thought well to sequestrate by these presents all goods of the said priory for fear of dilapidation which we have good reason to fear from the doings of the past, and we strictly charge him to give account of his receipts and administration in manner and form aforesaid and under the penalties abovesaid.
And since we have found in the same visitation that your said priory, although greatly oppressed with debt, is overcharged with superfluous and useless men, we enjoin on you, charging you under the penalties abovesaid, to expel altogether from the same priory within fifteen days immediately following the receipt of these presents Richard Wade, John Wade, his son, and Thomas Newport, because they are talebearers and sowers of discord among you, the prior and monks, and who are entirely useless to the said priory and wasters of it, and also because the said Thomas Newport lightly laid violent hands on the beforenamed Henry Watkyln monk of the said priory, and Sir Robert Martyn, rector of the church of Pontfayn, and your said prior's father and mother with their household, who are too burdensome and useless to the priory (although it is written "maintain parents' nevertheless it is forbidden to rob Peter and give to Paul, and a man shall leave father and mother and cleave unto the profit of his spouse'), with care, reverence and honour, not tolerating longer the ministering unto them or any other useless persons of the goods of the priory aforesaid, unless some charitable relief and this with the express consent of the convent, without the priory however, and [not] immoderately be bestowed on the priors parents by the hands of the almoner, in no wise to recede in time to come such an useless household for alongstay, under the penalties abovesaid.
Furthermore, charging thee under the penalties above said, we enjoin that thou brother Walter, prior beforesaids Within three months immediately following the date of these presents render a faithful account and reckoning to thy aforesaid confreres of the goods of the priory aforesaid, throughout the time and from the time of thy rule in the same, and of thy receipts and administration leaving the rolls of the accounts of thee and of the cellarers for the time being in the archives of the house for an example to posterity. Furthermore we enjoin under the penalties abovesaid, Strictly charging, that the cellarer so by us or by you elected be not removed from office, without the common consent of the convent and the greater part, at the suggestion or dissatisfaction of one of you, and that the said cellarer or prior shall not [jointly] or [singly] make any form or alienation of goods of the said priory to any person whatsoever, except by Common consent, as is aforesaid, after diligent discussion is had upon this in the chapter, and he of you who shall do the contrary in the premises let him be judged as an appropriator and heavily punished according to the regular observances, because that which will touch all should be approved by all.
And because we have found in the same visitation that you monks using fictitious privileges obtained defacto without the licence of your prior, in contempt of your prior and him who has the cure of your souls, confess your sins to others in cases not permitted of right, this thing we forbid to be done henceforth, reserving your confession by these presents to your prior or in his absense to one specially deputed in his place.
And thou prior presume, after a lapse, to confess your sins whatsoever they be to one brother William Stodon, who is too simple and in the intervals of sickness has not discretion and does not know how to use the proper medicine for sins committed, and has no power in the premises because he has not been presented to or received by the ordinary, deceiving your own soul, because when the blind leads the blind both fall headlong into the ditch, this thing we forbid henceforth to him and thee, except in the moment of death, reserving by these presents thy confession in more trivial matters to one of the saner of thy brethren, but graver cases to our lord the bishop or his penanced unless thou shalt merit to obtain the more abundant grace of having a confessor selected for thee by our lord the bishop or by us.
And since as in the same visitation we have found that you monks casting off the bridle of obedience do not fear to go out of the bounds of the priory without asking and obtaining the licence of your prior or his special deputy, and alone wandering amongst secular persons contrary to the regular observances, this thing in virtue of holy obedience we forbid henceforth to be one, adding by way of injunction that an accused person convicted in the premises shall be punished for a first offense heavily, for a second more heavily, and for a third shall be delivered to dreadful prisons, from this injunction however we have excepted the cellarer of the house, who as his office requires must be occupied daily within and without about the business of the house. We will, however, that your prior have his chamber by the house, his faculty, disposition and honour, as is meet.
Also we have found in the same visitation that thou, prior, on thy part, and you, monks, on yours, making division and party, cleaving unto seculars and secular power, prodigally consume the comnnon goods of your priory, this thing we forbid to be done henceforth under the penalties abovesaid, having before our eyes the psalm Behold how good and joyful a thing it is brethren to dwell together in unity and that only in time of peace is the Author of Peace worshipped well. We will therefore and Command with injunctions, that our present injunctions be laid up in the archives of the house. We will however that a copy be supplied to each one of you that he may not be able to pretend ignorance And of what you do in the premises and in what manner in obeying what we have decreed to be done in this behalf, see that you certify the said reverend father or us, in his absence, distinctly and openly, by the feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle by your letters patent containing the series of theses sealed with your common seal Dated in the castle of Lawaden, 3 June, 1405.
1406. 21 November,
Robert Raulyn, bachelor in decrees, canon of St. Davids, vicar general in spiritualities of the reverend, etc., Guy, etc., now engaged in distant parts, to the religious man brother Walter Robjoy, prior, etc., sendeth greeting in the Son of the Glorious Virgin and that you firmly obey these presents.
Whereas in a visitation . . . and fatherly in the said priory now late in time judicially and in very deed carried out by certain commissaries, with sufficient authority of the said reverend father, there having been previous complaints made, we have found clearly by legal documents plain evidence, strong presumptions, and notoriety of fact, which cannot be hid by any prevarication, that thou brother Walter, prior beforesaid, hast wickedly consumed the goods of the said priory with Joan Moris, wife of John Hicke, thy paramour, whom thou hast held in adulterous embraces for some years, to the great peril of thy soul, a pernicious example to many, the scandal of thy order, and the grave damage of thy said priory, and prodigally wasted these by gifts to thy pimps and fautors favouring thee and the said paramour in such crime of adultery and to several secular jurors in order that they should feloniously indict brother John Baker thy fellow-monk, in his lifetime, and maliciously oppress other of thy fellow-monks according to the ordering of thy will, to the grave damage of them and thy priory and the scandal of the order, so that thy said priory in consequence of the premises and other excesses, not at present set out here on accountof a feeling of reverence interceding for thee in this behalf, is burdened with an enormous debt.
In order therefore that by the help of the Divine mercy such defects may be reformed, we, by authority of the said father whose powers we bear, send specially to thee by these presents the injunctions, monitions, precepts and mandates written within, in addition to other injunctions specially sent to thee and thy fellow monks jointly under this same date.
Seeing that we are to abstain not only from evil but from all appearance of evil we enjoin on thee on pain of deprivation and removal from the of office of thy priory beforesaid not to go in person to Joan herself or her house, openly or in secret, nor to have speech with her in anything likely to cause suspicion; and we inhibit thee under the penalties abovesaid from entering into any contract of purchase, sale, accommodation, or loan, in respect of goods of thy priory or doing anything in the way of charging thy priory, without the express consent of all thy fellow-monks or the greater part of the same we admonish thee also, once, twice, thrice, and peremptorily, that thou obey our said injunctions, monitions, precepts and mandates, and humbly observe these, on pain of the greater excommunication which, in view of the delay, the fault and the offense, which have gone before, we pass in these writings and publish, from now as from then and from then as from now, against thy person if thou obey not the same zenith effect. In witness whereof etc. Dated in our inn at London, 21 November, 1406, and the tenth year of our consecration.
Acc/to The old Parish Churches of South West Wales by Mike Salter 1994.
St Thomas Becket (SM 910055).
Hidden in a back street is a small restored medieval chapel.
St Katherine built 1808 became parish church 1891, enlarged early 20c. contains relics of Nelson.
This is a modern benefice to which a district out of the parish of Steynton was assigned by an order in Council dated Sep 26 1891.
Perpetual Curates.
1809 Jul 5 Henry Bevan
1825 Jan 18 Thomas Brigstocke
1874 Mar 10 James Boaden
1894 Jun 26 Edmund John Howells
A Note on the Memorial to Lord Nelson.
A visitor to St. Katharine's Church cannot fail to notice the memorial to Lord Nelson and may well ask why it is there and that it has taken the particular form it has. The answer is a trifle complicated. Milford is a "new town". It was built on practically vacant site under a private Act of Parliament of 1790 which was procured by Sir William Hamilton to whom the property came through his first marriage with the Pembrokeshire heiress, Catherine Barlow of Slebech. Sir William was pointed Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of Naples in 1764. Therefore entrusted the foundation and development of the town to his nephew Charles Francis Greville. In August l802, together with his second wife (nee Amy Lyon and more generally known as Emma Hart) Sir William with Lord Nelson visited Milford to see the progress of the work there. Greville was about to build a Chapel which he considered to be as he said he essential appendage of a town". It was not completed ad consecrated until 1808, three years after the death of Nelson.
Greville wished to commemorate Nelson's visit to Milford in some permanent form. He wrote to Thomas Burgess, Bishop of St. Davids, and suggested a porphyry vase and the truck of the mainmast of the French ship L'Orient which had been blown up at the battle of the Nile should be placed on a pedestal. The vase should be used as a font. The wording he proposed was "Let those who are baptized at this font be taught that because Lord Nelson's piety and loyalty were equal to his valour he never exclaimed in vain to his daring fleet England expects every man to do his duty." To this, the Bishop strongly objected. The vase was of some unknown heathen origin. The truck of the mainmast had been polluted by "a complication of blood and carnage". The inscription "was very unfit for the place it was intended". "The office of baptism" the Bishop pointed out "is one of the most sacred acts of the Christian Ministry and the celebration of it should be associated with no reflections but of a spiritual nature". He suggested that a place should be found in front of the Chapel or somewhere inside, and the urn and truck might be a cenotaph in honour of Nelson. Greville was disappointed but had to acquiesce. A brass plate was prepared with the words:
The porphyry vase has always remained in the Church; but the truck was removed and may now be seen in the Royal United Services Institute, Whitehall, among the Nelson relics (exhibit 2199).
Legend has gathered round the vase. In the centenary number of the Parish Magazine (1908) it is definitely stated that Lady Hamilton presented it. This is repeated in Notes and queries 20 December 1952. Fortunately Greville gives the facts in a letter which he wrote to the Bishop in June 1807 "Chance enabled me to acquire a Red Porphyry Vase which Bishop Pococke brought from Egypt and gave to the E. of Bessborough and it was sold at his death and the British Museum was in treaty for it when I acquired it".
In a further letter to Bishop in defence of his idea about the use of the urn as a font he declares that it was of so ancient a date that it was coveted the Trustees of the British Museum as prior to idol worship.
That it is of Egyptian origin is undoubted. It is known that indefatigable traveller Richard Pococke (1704-1765), afterwards Bishop of Meath, went up the Nile as far as Philae in 1737. The objection to its use as a font because it may have ministered profane rites was known to Richard Fenton (A Historical tour through Pembrokeshire, 1811), though he does not ascribe it to the Bishop. What he describes as the 'objectionable porphyry" remains as part of Greville's wish to commemorate Nelson, in particular his visit to Milford.
24 July 1962.
(Journal of the Historical Society of the Church in Wales Vol XIII).
Acc/to Pembrokeshire notes.
The author of the Life of St Brynach (12c) tells how the Lord God conveyed his saint the length of the British sea and landed him in the haven of Milford in the region of Dyfed on the banks of the river Cleddy.
The facts are as follows. Milford is quite a modern town and has no welsh name other than Milffwrt. as Mr Laws puts it (History of Little England 1888 p 400) "By very many persons it is supposed that Milford Haven takes its name from Milford town, but the great estuary was christened a thousand years ago while the town came into being during the last quarter of the 18c. He then tells the story of the marriage of Miss Barlow of Colby to Sir William Hamilton by which the latter obtained possession of the manors of Pill and Hubberston; how in 1784 Hamilton (two years after the death of his wife) visited Pembrokeshire with his nephew the Hon. Charles Grenville, who immediately saw "money" in Milford Haven. how Hamilton met "the lovely Emma" a domestic in Grenville's house in Paddington Green, and became infatuated with her; how Emma was sold to him for £6000 by the honourable gentleman, who now took over and began to lay out his "new" town, that is Milford; and how in 1802 a queer quartet assembled at Milford; Charles Grenville, Sir William Hamilton, Lord Nelson and Emma by now Lady Hamilton.
Acc/to Western Telegraph Then & Now Wed July 10 1991.
Nelson and the Hamiltons were at that time living in the famous "Ménage de Trios" at Merton Place near Wimbledon. Nelson and Emma were lovers something which Sir William seemed to accept.
Charles Francis Grenville Sir William's nephew and heir who had been Emma's lover before he introduced her to Sir William was managing the Hamilton Pembrokeshire estates for his uncle.
Sir William had voiced concern over Grenville's reported financial excesses in developing the new town of Milford and had been invited down by Grenville to see for himself. The three left Merton on July 21st 1802 and arrived at Milford on July 31st Nelson was feted all the way. They were greeted at Milford by Grenville and a flag waving throng at the "New Inn". Front St renamed two days later the "Lord Nelson".
As the next day was the fourth anniversary of Nelson's victory at the Nile, Grenville arranged a few days' celebrations including a sumptuous banquet at the New Inn attended by all the leaders of West Wales society. It was here that Nelson made his speech in praise of the Milford Haven Waterway and those involved with its development.
They then visited Lord Milford at Picton near the home of the Barlows at Slebech were Sir William's first wife Catherine Barlow had been buried
Haverfordwest was the next stop where they stayed in Foley House with Captain Foley a naval colleague. He and Nelson were granted the Freedom of the Borough on the next day (Aug 7th). Aug 10th 1802 they visited Lord Cawder at Stackpole Court then Tenby before returning to Merton via Birmingham which they reached on September 5th 1802.
Sir William Hamilton died, in the arms of Emma on 19th April 1803 and is buried alongside his first wife Catherine in the old Church at Slebech.
Western Telegraph - 13 September 1996 page 3.
Old Skeleton found.
Human remains believed to date from the 12c have been uncovered by workmen laying sewerage pipes at lower Priory Milford Haven. Fragments of an adult skeleton were found just outside the walls of a priory by contractors working for Pembrokeshire County Council. The site is believed to have been a burial ground. Work on the site has been stopped whilst the council awaits a pathologist report.
Western Telegraph Wed Oct 2 1996 by Beverley Mortimer.
Residents of Lower Priory Milford Haven are calling for the remains of sixteen bodies unearthed near to the 12th century priory to be re-interned in the grounds of the ruins.
The householders believe that the human skeletons - which include a women and a young child - belong in the ancient burial ground where they were unearthed rather than in a local cemetery.
Said Mr Roger Richardson who lives at The Steps in Lower Priory on which part of the monument is sited - "I have spoken to nearly every resident and regardless of their religious orientation, they agree that the bones belong here. But we would need to get special permission to re-bury them outside a dedicated cemetery.
"I am quite prepared to see the Bones buried in my garden under the monument and have spoken to MP Nick Ainger about this - But Cadw would have to agree. What I do not want is some Official saying that we must put them in the cemetery because 'that is what it says in his little book".
The first fragments of an adult skeleton- were unearthed just outside the walls of the priory by workmen laying sewage pipes under the road through the village four weeks ago . Work was halted while forensic tests were carried out and Home Office permission obtained to carry out exhumations at the site.
Since then, 15 further skeletons have been found about one metre below the surface and the Dyfed Archaeological Trust is hailing it as an important discovery.
Said Mr. Richard Ramsey, the site archaeologist: ''Nine of the burials are complete and are east-west orientation which indicates a Christian burial. The skeletons are of young people with their hands laid across their chests. We believe the burials took place at different eras between the 11th and 14th centuries as the later graves were covered in broken slate and building debris as if re-building work took place at that time. There is no evidence of any coffins but it was obviously a very busy graveyard."
One of the most exciting discoveries is of the footings of the northern wall of the north transept of the priory which has revealed the full extent of the building. Other artefacts recovered include a fragment of medieval floor tile and a shard of pottery.
The priory was founded in 1170 by Adam de Rupe or de Roche and its rights and privileges were confirmed and extended by later members of the family. It was subordinate of St Dogmaels abbey and a sister priory to the Caldey Island abbey. The monks were reformed Benedictines of the order of Tiron.
Its end came with the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry XIII during the reformation in the early 1500s. The last prior was William Watt'.
It was also severely damaged by Cromwellian forces in during the Civil War of the early 1640s.
The excavation work has been funded by Welsh Water.
Milford Haven - Mrs Mary Mirehouse.
Sir William Hamilton, Ambassador at Naples, grandson of the third Duke of Hamilton, married in 1758 Catherine, daughter of John Barlow of Slebech (she died 1782). Through her he acquired property at Milford Haven, for which his nephew, the Hon. Charles Greville, son of the Earl of Warwick, acted as agent. Charles Greville had taken up a very lovely girl, Emma Hart, whom Sir William much admired, calling her 'the fair tea-maker' when they met at Greville's house. Greville started great schemes at Milford, planned docks, and built a large pier; he was soon overwhelmed with debt, and then made a shameful bargain with Sir William, the result of which was that Emma was enticed to Naples, on the pretext of masters for her beautiful voice and there fell into Sir William's hands. After five years they returned to England, and were there married on September 6, 1791 Milford was transferred to Greville, with a settlement of £800 per annum on the bride.
In 1800 the Government rented the Milford Shipbuilding Yard for fourteen years, and Greville, Sir William and Lady Hamilton, and Lord Nelson all met at a banquet given at the Lord Nelson Hotel at Milford by Greville; apparently without any awkwardness being felt by anyone. Charles Grenville died in 1809, leaving the Milford property to his brother Robert. In 1814 the Government lease ran out, and was not renewed, the money demanded being too extortionate. From that time the fortunes of Milford declined, and untold sums were sunk and lost in the effort to revive them, both by Robert Greville and his son, also Robert. The latter finally quitted the place, his only son having been thrown from his horse and killed in Hyde Park. The Government in 1814 began to build the present dockyard on the site then known as Pater-church (still spoken of by country people as Pater, pronounced Patter), the Haven Forts were afterwards built for its protection.
Emma Lady Hamilton's career with Lord Nelson is a matter of history; there is a beautiful portrait of her by Romney at Stackpole Court.
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Milton-see Carew.
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Minwear040130 Jottings
Church St Womar
Acc/to The old Parish Churches of South West Wales by Mike Salter 1994.
The small nave and chancel and tiny transept are 13c. The north chapel with a two bay arcade, the opening either side of the chancel arch, and the belfry raised above the thick west wall are of the 16 & 17c. The four heads on the font probably represent the Four Evangelists.
This Benefice was granted to the Knights Hospitallers of St John by Robert, son of Lomer a Knight in the retinue of William Marshal Earl of Pembroke about the year 1150 Anselm's confirm charter. The grant of the land of Mynwere together with all the land of Cadwgan within the territory of Mynwere made by Lodomer and his son Robert was confirmed by Walter Mareseal (Marshall?) Earl of Pembroke (1241) with the added right of a "free chase and warren over the whole manor of Mynwere, including the lands of Cadwgan with all the forest of the manor, with all its liberties and customs" the land appears to have extended as far as Canaston.
On the dissolution of the monasteries it came into the hands of the Crown and was afterwards sold to John Barlow of Slebech
Perpetual Curates.
1739 Aug 9 George Bowen
1750 Aug 7 William Eynon B.A.
1781 Oct 11 William Williams
1786 Dec 27 Owen Lewis
1798 Nov 2 James Williams
1843 Mar 22 Whittington Henry Landon MA
1877 Aug 1 John Morris M.A.
1883 Dec 31 William Scott M.A.
1903 Jun 17 Iorwerth Grey Lloyd.
No detailed valuation in regard to Minwear is given in the Valor Eccl., but the following entry occurs under the list of churches appropriated to the Preceptory of Slebech:—Ecclesis de Mynwer viij.
Under the heading 'Not in Charge'; —Minivear alias Winwear Ch. (St. Womar), £7 certified value. William Knox, Esq.—.
On 10 Aug., 1870, a faculty was granted for the restoration of the old parish church and for the addition oaf piece of land, as a burial ground, to the old churchyard.
Smith William 1543 Mynwer PRO 223/423 Churchwarden
Acc to Medieval Buildings - published by Preseli District Council
Sisters House Minwear - small nucleus of miniature tower houses plus the shell of a great barn, a massive walled garden, the remains of a fish pond a well, a large barrel - vaulted cellar (perhaps the remains of the main domestic building, despite being known as the Chapel) and a ruined water mill on the tidal inlet to the west of the site.
Booklet first published 1996 ISBN 1 898687 05 6 © B H J Hughes.
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Monkton The Church of St Nicholas and St John.
Acc/to B.G Charles Place Names in Pembrokeshire the name Munketun first appeared in documents in 1377. Earlier records refer to the area as part of Pembroke. (ecclesia beati Johannis Evangelistae et beati Nicholai confessoris de Penbrock (1331 acc/to Dugdale). The present church was formerly the Church of the Benedictine Priory of Monkton, from which the place probably gets its name -'tun of the monks'.
In 1098 Arnulph de Montgomery, who had invaded the area in 1093 and erected a fortification on what is now the site of Pembroke Castle made a gift of the Church of St Nicholas "within his castle" to the Benedictine Abbey of Seez in Normandy while half the tithes of his churches in Wales were to be devoted to provide footwear for its Monks at Seez the rest to go towards the support of the new site at Pembroke. Soon after this the monks started to build the monastery on which, some evidence suggests, was the site of an earlier pre-Norman settlement. As it was subservient to a foreign monastery it was regarded as an alien priory and thus had a very unsettled existence.
These alien priories were cells of the religious houses in England which belonged to foreign monasteries;
When manors or tithes were given to foreign convents, the monks, in order to have faithful stewards of their revenues, built a small convent and constituted priors over them. Within these convents there was the same distinction as in those priories which were cells subordinate to some great abbey. Some of these were conventual, and having priors of their own choosing, thereby became entire societies within themselves, and receive the revenues belonging to their several houses for their own use and benefit, paying only an acknowledgement to the foreign household but others depended entirely on the foreign houses, who appointed and removed their priors at pleasure. These transmitted all their revenues to the foreign houses to which they appertained, and on this account their estates were frequently seized to supply the means of carrying on the wars between England and France, and restored to them again on the return of peace.
The whole number of these institutions is not exactly known but it has been ascertained that it exceeded one hundred. The alien priories were first seized by Edward I in 1285, on the breaking out of war between France and England; and it appears, from the roll, that Edward II also seized them. In 1337 Edward III confiscated their estates, and let out the priories themselves, with all their lands and tenements, at his pleasure, for twenty three years; at the end of which term peace was concluded between France and England. He restored their estates 1361. At other times, he granted their lands, or pensions out of them, to several of his nobles. Their condition was not improved by the accession of Richard II and it was not until Henry IV began his reign that these priories experienced any royal favour. He restored all the conventual ones, only reserving to himself, in time of war, what they paid, in time of peace, to foreign abbeys. Their prosperity however was not of long duration; for they were all dissolved by act of parliament, in the second year of the reign of Henry V, and their estates were vested in the crown.
According to an Inventory of 1377 Pembroke Priory had three appropriated Churches.
Castlemartin value £26 13s 4d,
Monkton value £26 13s 4d,
Pembroke St Michael's value £10 0s 0d,
Assessed value for temporalities £19 6s 3 1/2d - no figure given for spiritualities.
Attached to St Michaels Pembroke was, according to Fenton a subordinate Chapel or hospitium dedicated to St Mary Magdalene, which was situated to the east of the church outside the town walls. This hospital had an income of £1 6s 8d. There is also evidence that there was a leper house, as land at Kingswood was let to the lepers in the inventory of 1326/7 (for the same pasture of the sheep of the lepers).
Accounts for Pembroke for the same year also show that there was a house of St John there on which no fees were paid.
When the Alien priories were seized by the Crown in 1414, Monkton was granted to Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, who returned it to the church by giving it to St Albans Abbey to which it belonged until the dissolution of the Monasteries.
The last prior was William Waren in 1534 and at that time the number at the priory consisted of the prior and three monks. After the dissolution he was one of those permitted to hold a benefice and wear his habit under that of a secular clerk. There are records which also show that he held the land which had belonged to St Daniel's Church.
The property of the Priory was sold by the Crown to John Vaughan and Katherine his wife in 1546.
According to the records of the Archdeaconry of St David's Episcopal Visitations in 1678 due to the failure of the tithe holders to carry out the maintenance of the chancel of the Church it had become in a very poor state of repair.
From 1770 until an Order in Council was granted on 5th February 1872 the vicarage of Monkton was united with the vicarages of St Michael's and St Mary's Pembroke. The combined livings at the time were valued at £40 and "Mouncton" church is described as "down".
Fenton in 1810 said "The priory church taking in the unroofed old chancel, or Virgin's Chapel, making nearly half of the building, was of great length, and is a mixture of the Saxon and pointed order. The nave is vaulted with stone. The pointed arch that led to the unroofed part must have been stopped for some centuries, as it incorporates a monumental recess neatly wrought, to which were formerly affixed brasses of figures and coats of arms, but long since stripped off, now forming the back of the communion table. The church is paved partly with the glazed bricks, having arms, mottos and flowers on them as at St David's and Carew The modern font is placed on the fragment of a beautiful clustered column, such as does not occur anywhere in the present edifice, so that there is reason to suppose the ancient church, which appears to have been enriched with ornaments now not existing, has undergone much change.
This church has long been the mausoleum of the family of the Owens, and probably of the Wyrriots, of Orielton, before them, as well as of the Meyricks of Bush, as we see the monuments of the first of the former who settled in this country, as well as of the latter.
In the unroofed chapel there are four handsome windows on the south side and one in the east end. On each side there is a canopied recess as for a recumbent figure, but now untenanted; and on the right hand of the altar stone stalls of neat workmanship for two officiating priests. Parallel to this on the north side is a building of similar dimensions, separated by an open passage and though now detached, a considerable building called by the common people the Monkey-house, was formerly connected with the nave of the church, as may be clearly traced.
The prior's mansion, a little to the west of the cemetery, now converted into a farm house, is of singular form, uniting the architecture of various fashions and ages. It is ascended by a flight of steps, at the foot of which on each side are the remains of very curious pillars. The basement is all vaulted; and the outbuildings together with the walls that enclose the whole, give us an idea of the priors great state. The monastic precinct, or rather prior's liberties, occupying a very large tract, formed a paddock well walled round, commanding a fine view of the estuary, castle and town of Pembroke, and must have been a sumptuous and delightful residence. A dove-house of large dimensions, an inseparable appendage to houses of the first note in this county, still exists entire just without this paddock"
The livings of the three parishes of St Mary, St Michael and St Nicholas were recorded in 1834 as being consolidated into one discharged vicarage, rated in the king's books at £9 ( £4 for St Michael and £5 for that of Monkton. St Mary's not being in charge.) and in the gift of Sir John Owen Bart.
In 1851 the church of Monkton or St Nicholas (this was what is now the nave of the present church) had a seating capacity of 52 of which two were free seats. The patron and impropriator of the parish was Sir John Owen Bart. and the tithes amounted to £475 of which £300 belonged to Sir John Owen and £175 to the Vicar. The consolidated parish had, besides the Vicar, two curates. One of which had a stipend of £110 the other £50. Two services were held each Sunday. Congregations for the morning service averaged 80 while the numbers fell to 60 for evensong
The northern side of the nave of the present Church supported outside by buttresses is the original wall of the nave of the ancient church of St Nicholas.
When the Rev David Bowen, who was also an architect, was appointed Vicar in 1877 the church was partly in ruins and had been for some time. At that time the congregation worshipped in the nave, a photograph of shows that the chancel and side chapel were in ruins with no roof or windows and covered in vegetation. The first entry into the bank pass book for the Restoration fund was dated May 17th 1878 and the first faculty was granted in 1882 (2 Aug) for the restoration of the then Church.
During the restoration the floor level was lowered and levelled. This revealed that, like in many other churches, there had been numerous burials below the floor one of which, if the terms of his will of 1500 were carried out, was Richard Newton. The remains were collected and interned in a large grave by the north wall of the Churchyard. Two effigies were uncovered in the floor of the porch and these were later placed in recesses in the chancel and sanctuary. Whilst work was proceeding in the porch, the fine Norman arch was uncovered and a room above the porch was found and opened. This was found to contain the skeleton of a monk. The first part of the restored building was reopened on 8th December 1882 to a large congregation by the Lord Bishop of St David's who took as his text Coll III., 3-4. He was accompanied by Venerable Archdeacon Lewis. The collection of £21 14s 5d was given to the Restoration fund and after the service many paid 2s for lunch in the crypt of the Old Hall.(this would have been soon after its restoration by Mr Cobb). The Bishop also baptised the son Walter Mark, of Captain Walter Hoare and his wife Edith Mary.
Contributions for the lunch had been provided by Mrs Bowen, Mrs Leach, Mrs George, Mrs Russel,Yerbeston; Mrs Hitchen, Iveston; Mrs Lloyd, Goldboro; Mrs Sweet, Mellaston; Miss Thomas, Moorston; Miss Evans, Castleton;
The pulpit for the Church was donated by Mrs Bowen; the font, Mr and Mrs Hurlow; reading desk, Mr George Lewis; lectern, anon friend; book stand for the Holy Table, W O Hum Esq.; bible, Miss Bryages; bible, Mrs Hird; two prayer books for the holy table, Mrs Robert George; prayer book for reading desk, Mrs Ada George; bible for the pulpit, Master Howard Penney; book markers, Miss Peard; gas standards, Rev T G Cree; cushion for the pulpit, Mrs Williams, Salutation; two offertory basins, Miss Mary Hurlow font bucket (oak with brass mounts), Miss Hester Hurlow.
At a meeting held after the Easter Vestry in 1883 it was agreed to level all the unmarked graves in the Churchyard.
A second faculty was granted in 1887 ( 21 April) for enlarging the Church The restoration work involved rebuilding the chancel and side chapel, making the church nearly half as long again, removing the dividing wall between the old nave and the ruined chancel. A new east window was installed to commemorate the Royal visit and new choir stalls with canopies, some of which were donated by Masonic lodges throughout South Wales, were carved and erected by Mr Edwin Thomas of St David's.
The Masonic Lodges also gave the stain glass windows in the Chapel. Much of the stone carving was done by a local mason Mr Chas Henry Williams of 4 Charlton Place Pembroke Dock. He also carved the pulpit in St John's Pembroke Dock, the South African War Memorial in Carmarthen and work in St Patrick's Church Pennar.
The Church was visited by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra on Saturday 23rd 1902 but according to a local paper, for some reason it is believed the Rev David Bowen was absent that day and so did not meet the Royal party.
On September 17th 1909 a faculty was granted for the erection of a churchyard cross in the parish churchyard.
During the clearing away of some of the remains of Monkton Priory a metal seal was found.
The inscription reads " SIGILLU': PRIOR: PROVICIALIS: ANGLIE: ORDINIS: FRATRU': PREDICATORUM; its date is about 1500 and it is in the Tenby Museum.
Also a stone vessel described as a domestic mortar of medieval date was found in ground adjoining the Priory Church. Height 10ins, outside dia. 18ins, interior dia, 13ins; with a heavy lug at each of the four corners.
The Parish records of this ancient church, which at times were combined with those of St Mary's Pembroke, go back to 1711 but fortunately some of the Bishops transcripts from as early as 1685 still survive.
There was once, according to legend, a passage from the priory to the castle, but the sites entrance and exit have been lost.
NB. (In fact according to one very reliable history of the area the entrance site is where a large bush stands in the vicarage garden and the passage was last partly walked in the late 1800's by the Davies brothers, one of whom later helped with the exploration of the Priory Cave.)
With regard to Body found in the room above the porch. After I published this History I was contacted by several old residents of the Parish and told that they had always been told that it was actually that of a Nun but the local Roman Catholic Priest was very vitriolic about the that fact and totally deigned the possibility. There was a lot of heated correspondence in the local newspapers during the period between the Wars. The local people insisted it was a Num, and when found she was in the kneeling position. The body they believed was of a very Holy Nun who lived as a hermit near the Priory. When she died it was not possible to bury her inside the Church so they placed her body in the small room above the Porch and sealed the entrance. The Local people said it was as if she was praying to be allowed in. They also told me the story of the Vicar in the 1930's who used to complain that a Nun used to knock on his bedroom door just before dawn every day so as to wake him to say Mattins.
The Monastery or Monks house which was known locally as the Monkey House has completely disappeared. It used to be where the Vicarage now stands. It had in it curious stone steps, a vaulted roof and at one time twelve stone statues of the apostles in niches in the walls. All these historical treasures were lost when it was taken down to build "the barn" attached to Priory farm. When the Vicarage was built, there was deposited on June 14th 1893 in a cavity in the North East Foundation Stone a bottle containing a small piece of parchment with the following names written on it -- Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Benson; Bishop of St David's Dr Basil Jones; Vicar of Monkton, Rev David Bowen. This bottle was sealed with an impression of the original seal of the Benedictine Prior.
Speede's Map of Pembroke showing Monkton Priory and St Anne's Chapel.
Sites of Interest:
Priory Farm cave/ Cats Hole Cave
Mr E W Dixon and Dr A Hurrell Style first excavated in this cave in 1908 when a number of finds were made. Professor W F Grimes in his Guide to the Collection Illustrating The PreHistory of Wales (1939,) describes them thus:-
"A small but fine series of flints comes from a cave in the limestone at Cat's Hole Quarry Monkton, Pembroke
The cave penetrates over 120 feet into the rock, at a height of about 50ft above the present level of the river. It was excavated in 1908 and found to contain deposits at least 4 feet thick consisting of cave earth in two layers, with near the entrance an underlying band of gravel. Beneath the surface earth in the cave mouth were found a bronze saw, a chisel, and a fragmentary palstave, while there were kitchen middens and fragments of medieval pottery indicating even later occupation. At the same level as the bronzes was a human skull of the typical Neolithic type. The animal remains found in the cave were much mixed and there was no difference between the two levels. They included especially, however reindeer, hyena, horse and mammoth. The flints were found in the gravel. Apart from worked flakes they consist of some fine examples of the developed Gravette point, the presence of which has already been noted at Paviland. The Monkton implements however more closely resemble those of the Cresswell Crags caves which at present are the type site for the industry, and provide really definite evidence for the existence in South Wales of the characteristic Cressweillian industry. The Monkton cave is at present the most westerly known to have been occupied by early man."
The artefacts were deposited in the National Museum of Wales.
Monkton Old Hall. This contains one of the finest of the Pembrokeshire square chimneys. It has evidence of being an early Pembrokeshire house of 14c to 15c construction although the crypt might be still earlier. It has been suggested that it might originally have been a guest house for the priory Church of St Nicholas and St John. In 1879 when it was leased by Mr J R Cobb F.S.A. the slated roof , which had been probably replaced in 1819 as some of the timbers bore that date, had fallen in as had the vault of the porch and that of the north east wing. An elder tree 7 1/2 inches in diameter was growing in the chimney. According to his description, after the rubble had been cleared, the building consisted of a long low vaulted hall of three bays the eastern bay having a vaulted porch This low vaulted hall was, in his opinion, the oldest part of the building being cut into the limestone rock . Over the middle and western bay there is another hall with an external staircase with a fireplace and a slender Pembrokeshire stack. The north east limb consisted of kitchen with plain barrel vault built on the eastern bay of the main building and having a large fireplace with another room above. There were also fragmentary remains of a north western limb built on to the western bay. Cobb compared the design of the building with that of the Hostelry of the Prior of St Pancras, Southwark described in "Domestic Architecture of the Middle Ages Vol 1 page 50".
Priory Farm was, according to Fenton, once the Prior's mansion, it has been very much restored but the corbels high on the front indicating parts are medieval.
Other names in the area mentioned in early records according to B. G. Charles include:-
Back Lane 1751.
Bridge End 1688.
Cunnigar 1661.
Mains 1661.
Monkton Bridge 1552.
Pigeon House 1662. [This is probably the medieval dovecote lying to the west of the farm and mentioned by Fenton in 1810. It is similar to the one at Manorbier near the castle. There was another in the area, at Beirspool Pembroke Dock associated with the manor of Kingswood but this has been pulled down.]
Windmill Hill 1613.
St Nicholas Well.
This is the name given to a large spring at the end of Watery Lane now enclosed within a modern conduit. It is said to have formerly supplied water to Pembroke Castle through pipes of earthenware and lead. One of the former was built into the boundary wall of Monkton Council School and one of the latter is preserved in Tenby Museum.
Acc/to The Description of Pembrokeshire by George Owen (1603).
There was a small fair at Monkton near Pembroke on both Holy Rood Days Later records suggest that fairs were held on May 4th and September 25th but gradually, probably because the Parish was consolidated with that of Pembroke St Mary's and St Michael's, these fell into disuse.
Education 1847.
Acc/to the State of Education in Wales.
Parish of Monkton
Thomas Merryman , labourer informed me that a labourer's wages with food are from 8d to 9d a day, and without from 7s to 8s a week; farm servants from £6 to £10., and female servants from £2 to £6 per year. Labourers have not the means to get drunk otherwise some of them would. They suffer severely from the failure of the potato crop this year. The slight advance in wages is nothing to be compared to this loss. Most of the farmers are able to read and write. Still many children and labourers are without education
Dec 22nd 1846
Mr William Thomas's school - This school is kept upstairs in two rooms of the master's house which is in good repair except the windows. There is a door to each room from the landing at the top of the stairs, but the master cannot see all the scholars from one room while they are in the other. He generally sits with the elementary classes.
The furniture consists of one masters desk, two long desks and twelve benches, no maps, prints, nor cards of any description.
The master, who seemed to be well informed, had been for 10 years conducting the National school at Tenby. He devotes his whole time to his school; his wife sells bread.
The scholars are tradesmen's mechanics, and a few labourer's children; but the inclement weather prevented many from attending.
Dec.15th 1846
At the time the parishes of St Michael's St Mary's and St Nicholas where united. The borough of Pembroke included all these parishes which covered the whole area of Pater. Apart from Pater where there was an excellent National school owing partly to the influence and proximity of the Dockyard, the only school of public institution for the poor was the National school. This was held in a house in the town, hired for the purpose, which is also used as a savings bank. Over 200 children of both sexes attend the school which is supported by subscription. There had been since 1690 endowment for a free grammar schoolfounded then but at this time the sum amounted to £11 3s 4d a year, just a little above a farm servants wage.
It was estimated that upwards of 500 children were without even a nominal education. The Sunday schools were few and worse attended. This inferiority would particularly apply to that part of Pembroke and its vicinity which lies in Monkton parish to the south and west.
In 1883 as well as rebuilding of work being carried out in connection with the church work was also undertaken on a school room This was completed by the extending the boundary wall by 20 feet, lengthening the main hall and erecting a dwarf wall with iron railings at the front.
There was a thriving Sunday School and that year the Sunday School treat was held at Orielton on July 17th by kind permission of M.A.Saurin Esq. who provided one of the conveyances to take the younger children. The elder ones had to walk lead by the school band. The event finished at 7.30 pm when the drummer sounded the "alarm" and as the children marched out of the field each was presented with two buns. The church was reached about nine and after a few words from the Vicar and the singing of the National Anthem the children dispersed to their homes.
Historic Records relating to Monkton.
1098 Benedictine cell founded at Monkton by Arnulf de Montgomery -subordinate to St Martin at Sees.
1098 August 17
Notification that Arnulf of Montgomery, son of earl Roger, has given to the church of St Martin of Seez, for the souls of his father Roger and his brother Hugh who was slain that year, the church of St Nicholas at Pembroch,( ecclesiam santi Nicholai in eodem castro positam) a castle of his in Wales and twenty carucates of land, together with all that his men had given or should give to the abbey. He promised that he would give other land of his lying in England, sufficient to provide footgear for the brethren of the abbey. This gift he made that he might retain nothing for himself of all the rents and dues of the land, giving even his woods for the needs of the monks, namely for building, and firing and pannage, throughout his demesne.
(Cal.Doc.France, ed Round pp237-8 No666).
1098 Notification that Arnulf de Montgomery, son of earl Roger has given to the church of St Martin of Seez yearly ten pounds from England to be charged on the tithes of his churches and to be applied half to the footgear of the brethren at Seez, and half to the brethren at Pembroke on their buildings.
Appended are the names of those who witnessed the kings confirmation:
The king, Anselm, archbishop, Wilfrid, bishop, Arnulf, son of earl Roger, Robert fitz Hamon (Cal.Doc.France, ed Round pp 238 No668)
1100c Memorandum of payments due to the abbey of St Martin of Seez and the brethren of Pembroke.... from the castle church, twenty shillings. (Cal.Doc.France, ed Round pp 238 No667)
1128-1135 not dated.
Writ of protection by Henry 1 for the abbey of St Martin of Seez addressed to Odo, sheriff of Pembroq, for all their things in churches, lands, tithes, alms, and all other things, well, in peace and justly, as they held them at the time of Arnulph, and Vilfrid, bishop, and Walter of Gloucester. (MS. Fr 18953, f45)
1174-5 not dated William Karquit, sheriff of the province ( provincia) ordered his officers and apparitors to take eight yoke of oxen belonging to the priory of Penbroc, where Gerald de Barri was fulfilling his legation, and drive them to the castle. When required for the third time to restore the same, he utterly refused and even promised worse, Gerald sent word to him that unless he restored the oxen he would be placed immediately under sentence of excommunication, to which he replied that he would not dare to excommunicate the king's constable in his own castle. Gerald replied that when the sheriff heard all the bells of the whole monastery rung at triple intervals then he would know without doubt that he was being excommunicated. immediately the messengers had returned, by authority of his legation, with candles lit, he solemnly gave the sentence of excommunication on him, in the presence of the monks of that place, and many of the clergy of the country, and likewise caused all the bells to be sounded together, as was customary, to confirm the sentence or rather to announce the fact. On the morrow, the robber came to the castle of Lanwadein, before David , the diocesan bishop, and Gerald and his colleague, Master Michael, whom the archbishop had attached to him, who had gone there, restitution having been made and satisfaction given, when he was beaten with rods, he was to be absolved. (Gir Camb. De Rebus (RS) Vol1 pp25-6).
1200 approx
Gerald of Wales records a deposition of a prior of Pembroke for fornication and the Seez monk presumably from Lancaster Priory who brought a mistress with him to Pembroke Priory. (Gir Camb Opera iv pp 34-55).
1205-10 -- not dated When the church of Thunebech was vacant, Geoffrey, bishop of St David's immediately solicited it from Philip, the prior of Pembroch several times, urging earnestly and by all means, that he should confer that church on a certain clerk of his, that thereby he could use those fish as he wished. When the prior replied to him that he was bound under a firm guarantee to confer his first vacant parish in Master Gerald the bishop promised, under certain security, that he would make himself responsible for the whole parish and charge of expenses if Gerald should reclaim that church; moreover, he undertook, under a firm bond, that he would give the half part of all the tithes of fish of that church, which there abounded, to the prior as long as he lived and to the monks dwelling there with him, to their own use. (Gir Camb. De Rebus (RS) Vol3 pp353-4).
1204-1214 not dated Grant by William Marshall earl of Pembroke for the souls of himself, Isabella, his wife, and all his ancestors and heirs, to the church of St John the Evangelist and St Nicholas the Confessor, of Pembroch, and the monks there of the tithes of his vills of Penbroke, Tynbeh, and Castle Martin, in free alms. Witnesses: Geoffrey, bishop of St David's Robert, son of Richard, Geoffrey son of Robert, Ralph Bluet, Nicholas Avenel (From an inspeximus 5 Edward III, Cal Pat Rolls 1330-1334 p67 Dugdale, Mon., Vol IV p321).
1259-60 Notification by J(ohn) abbot of the convent of St Martin, Seez that he has renounced his right to patronage to the churches of St Wynoc and the chapel of Kylkemaran, which belonged to his priory of Pembroch, to the hands of R(ichard) bishop of St David's, the diocesan and ordinary of the place, saving to himself his debts of the tithes, which he was accustomed to receive in the parish (parachia) of the said church of Wynoc.
(Rec Church in Wales, Stat Bk St David's (A), pp 51-2).
1260 March 3 Notification by Richard, bishop of St Davids that the prior and monks of St Nicholas Pembroch with the consent of the abbot and convent of Seez have renounced to his hands and to his ordinance the right of patronage in the churches of St Wynnoc and Kylkemeran which belonged absolutely to that priory, renouncing all appeals thereon. The bishop with the consent of his chapter, has ordained concerning the said churches that the prior and monks of St Nicholas Pembroch, shall obtain and possess for ever to convert to their own use the church of Kylkemeran, with its profits, provided that the said church shall not be deprived of its divine offices. He ordains also that the canons residential of the church of St Davids shall obtain and possess for ever for their own use and maintenance the church of St Wynoc, with its profits, after the cession or death of Master William de Gogh, rector of the said Church. The prior and monks shall continue to receive the pension of one mark from the canons, which they used to receive, reserving to the bishop and his successors power to confer the vicarage when vacant. The collations and donations of the tithes and pensions of the churches, except the above mentioned pension which they have canonically in the bishopric of St Davids by the collations of the bishop's predecessors, with the consent of the patrons, the prior and monks shall possess as justly canonically and peacefully as in time past, by authority of the ordinary, saving in all things Episcopal and archdiaconal rights in the said church. Sealed by the bishop and his chapter at Lantefey, Wednesday after St David, 1259 (Rec Church in Wales, Stat Bk St David's ( A), pp 50-1).
Pecham deposed Ralph the prior "for the vice of incontinence" and Ralph was sent back to the mother house and not allowed to return for ten years.
NB. At that time the word incontinence meant lacking restraint in sexual matters, or engaging in premarital or extramarital sex.
1291 In Pope Nicholas Taxation we have this item only concerning Pembroke priory "Decima in archid. Menev Bona. Prioris Penbr. ad £19 6s 3d ob Decima £1 18s 8d
1328 Edward III in the first year of his reign seized this priory into his own hands in consequence of a war with France (it was an alien priory)
1339 Pembroke Priory - affray Calendar of Close Rolls 1339-41 p111
1348 Black Death
1377 Richard II seized the priory a second time at which time an extent of its possessions was taken.
Extenta Prioratus de Pembrochia 1 Ric II (I have checked this against the original B.H.J. Hughes)
Ecclesia pertin ad dictum Prioratum
Ecclesia de Castelmartyn ultra reprisas Valet per annum 1 marc Item dicunt quod Ecclessia sancti Nicholai cum duabus capell ultra reprisas Val £x li
Item dicunt quod Ecclesia sancti Michaelis valet per annum
ultra reprisas £xiij. vjs viijd
Summa Valoris ecclesiarum iiijxx. £vj. xiijs. iiijd.
Pensiones pertin. ad dictum Prioratum
Ecclesia de Angulo redd. per annum xxiijs ad term. Pasch. et santi Michaelis.
Ecclesia de Porttraghan redd. per annum ad eosdem term viijs Ecclesia de Tymbregh redd. per annum ad eodem term xiijs iiid. Ecclesia de Tallagharn redd. per annum ad eosd. term xs Ecclesia de Sancti Cumano redd. per annum ad eosdem terminos ijs.
Ecclesia de Londchirch redd. per annum ad eosdem terminos ijs Ecclesia de Villa Galdfrido redd per annum ad eosdem terminos ijs.
Ecclesia de sancto Ismael redd. per annum ad eosdem terminos ijs.
Ecclessia de Crynwer redd. per annum ad eosdem terminos ijs.
Summa Pensionum ixxjs.
Portiones pertin ad dictum Prioratum.
Ecclesia de Wynnoci val per annum ixvjs viijd.
Ecclesia sancti Petroci val per annum xxvjs viijd Ecclesia de Costynton val per annum xs.
Ecclesia de Nassh val per annum xid Ecclesia de Carne val per annum xiijs Ecclesia de Pennaly val per annum xiijs iiijd.
Ecclesia de Sancti Florentii val per annum xijd.
Summa Portionum £vj. xiijs. iiijd.
1378 - the priory held three appropriated churches ( Castlemartin, St Nicholas, Monkton and St Michael's Pembroke) and drew pensions and portions from 17 other Churches - (Dugdale iv p321 Monastic Anglicanum) Total value £127 19 2.
1399 approx. Henry IV restored the priory but it was seized again by the Crown.
Henry IV issued a writ of protection to Pembroke Priory (Episc Acts pp 247, 254, 255).
Henry by the grace of God king. etc. to all whom the present letters shall come, greeting. Know that we inwardly considering how some alien priories, houses and religious places being within our realm of England and Wales were laudably founded and built by our noble progenitors and other nobles and magnates of our realm to do and maintain divine offices and works of hospitality and alms and other works of piety and devotion, and that the same priories and religious places, as well by sudden and frequent removals and expulsions of the priors and occupiers of the places aforesaid as by divers secular and other farmers after they were that they were first taken into the hand of Sir Edward, late king of England, our grandfather (Edward III), by occasion of the war between us and those of France, are so above measure destroyed, dilapidated and wasted as well in houses as in things and possessions that the divine worship and regular observances therein are at an end, and hospitalities and alms and other works of charity besides, of old established and accustomed to be done there are withdrawn , and also the pious vows of the founders are in manifold ways defrauded and frustrated to no small offence and displeasure of Almighty God, as we believe. And it being our will therefore to the glory of God and holy church to provide more graciously for the increase of divine worship and the renewal and continuance of the said works of charity and other works incumbent , we of our especial grace , of our certain knowledge and with the assent of our council in our present parliament have granted and by the tenour of these presents have restored to the abbot and convent of St Martin, Sees of the power of France, the advowsons of all their conventual and other priories to which priors have been accustomed of ancient time to be admitted, instituted and inducted, in our realm of England and elsewhere within our lordship and power being, and taken and seized into our hand by occasion of the war aforesaid, and we remove our hand from the advowsons aforesaid; to have and to hold to them and their successors, so that the same abbot and his successors aforesaid shall henceforth present fit persons to the priories aforesaid in all voidance of the same, the seisin thereof aforesaid or any other seisin in our hand or the hand of our aforesaid grandfather or of Richard, late king of England, by the occasion of the war aforesaid, made before these times , or any ordinances published to the contrary, notwithstanding; saving nevertheless to us and our heirs and other chief lords the services due there from, and further saving the right of any other person whatsoever. In witness etc. we have caused these our letters patent to be made.
Witness myself at Westminster, 15th November in the first year of our reign (1399) By K.
1399 26 Nov
Guy etc to our beloved son in Christ Dan Gervas le Brok, monk of the order of St Benedict, priest expressly professed in the same order, greetings etc.
To the priory of St Nicholas, Pembroke, of our diocese, which is usually governed by a prior, immediately annexed to the monastery of St Martin, Seez of the same order, and a dependant of the same , now vacant, to which by the religious men the abbot and convent of Sees aforesaid, true patrons of that priory thou art presented to us, with licence for this first time asked and obtained from our most excellent prince and lord, lord Henry etc. illustrious king of England etc. all ordinances published to the contrary notwithstanding, we admit thee and we institute and invest thee as prior of the same priory of St Nicholas Dated at London 26th November 1399
(There is a note that the same Gervas rendered canonical obedience, first abjuring all schismatical pravity).
1399 26 Nov
Guy etc. To our beloved etc , the archdeacon of St David's, or his official, greetings etc. Because we have admitted etc., Dan Gervas le Brok, monk of the order of St Benedict, priest expressly professed in the same order, to the priory of St Nicholas, Pembroke, of our diocese, which is usually governed by a prior, immediately annexed to the monastery of St Martin, Seez of the same order, and a dependant of the same, now vacant, to you we commit and command that you induct the aforesaid Gervas etc. Assigned to the same stall in the choir and the place in the chapter which had been accustomed to be assigned to the priors of the said priory for the time being, enjoining nevertheless on all and singular the monks and ministers of the same priory that they be humbly and devoutly obedient and attendant to the same Gervase as the true prior of themselves and that priory, in those things which belong to the regular discipline , rule and governance of the same priory; restraining canonically gainsayers and rebels, if you find any in this behalf. And of what you do in the premises etc. Dated London 26th November 1399.
1401 3 Sept
Guy etc. To the venerable and discreet men the treasurer and barons of the Exchequer etc. Greeting. We received a writ of the most excellent prince etc. in these words:- Henry etc. Because we have learned for certain that in divers alien priories that may be given at will, in which before the wars began no prior was instituted of inducted, many monks, alien and others, have before these times very often been and daily are instituted and inducted to our manifold deception; we wish to guard against such deception and to be fully certified by you upon the premises, by advice of our council command that cause your registers and evidences and those of your predecessors from the beginning of the reign of sir Edward 1 sometime king of England, our progenitor, to the present time be carefully and diligently searched, and that you inform the treasurer and the barons of our Exchequer duly and sufficiently in this behalf of the names of all and singular alien priories in which there have been perpetual priors instituted and inducted before the beginning of the wars aforesaid and since, and of the names of the persons instituted and inducted in the same in the meantime and on what day and in what year, and at the presentation or collation of what persons or person, in what manner so ever and how, by Michaelmas, next, sending this writ with your certificate. Witness myself at Westminster, 23 April in the second year of our reign. On receipt of which writ indeed by us we caused the registers of our predecessors to be diligently searched, in which, well and faithfully kept, we found certainly in the same that the priory of St Nicholas, Pembroke, in the presentation of the abbot and convent of the monastery of St Martin, Sees of the order of St Benedict, the priory of St Kened, Llangenyth, in the presentation of the abbot and convent of St Taurin of the diocese of Evreux, and the priory of St Mary, St Clears, in the presentation of the prior and convent of St Martin des Champs near Paris, of the Cluniac order, located and being within our diocese, throughout the time and times contained in the writ, having been perpetual; and the priors of the priories aforesaid in succession, as often as a vacancy happened, were accustomed to be admitted and canonically instituted in the same by the bishop of St Davids for the time being in presentation of their said patrons, and to be inducted in reality in the same by the archdeacons of the places in which they are situated and render oaths of obedience in the usual form, before the wars began as in the writ. In witness etc. Dated in our manor of Charleton, 3 September 1401.
1402 February 18th.
Orders celebrated by the Reverend Father in Christ and Lord, Lord Guy etc. Bishop, in the church of the priory of St Nicholas, Pembroke, of his diocese, on a Saturday of the four seasons, namely 18th February 1401-02, and in the fifth year of his consecration.
Traharn ap David
Griffith ap Howel
Robert Pembrok
Thomas Broun
Hugh Waleys
Philip Rogger
Walter Davy
Walter Gilberd
Thomas Heeche
Geoffrey Hylyng
Peter Bride
Thomas Newport
John Johan
John Bowdon
John Cadygan of the diocese of Winchester, on a title of the prior of Bradwell of the diocese of Lincoln, sufficiently dismissed by letters dimissory of his diocesan.
Llewelin ap Griffith on a title of his patrimony
Phillip ap Riez, vicar in the choir of our collegiate church of Abergwyly, on a title of his benefice there
John Lloid, on a title of the monastery of Comhyr
William Davy, on a title of his patrimony
Griffuth ap Thomas, on a title of the monastery of Talley.
William Carpenter, on a title of his patrimony.
Brother William Schepperd monks of Pylle.
Brother Walter Watkyn.
William Gwyn vicar in the choir of our collegiate church of Abergwylly, on a title of the hospital of St David's Swansea.
John Mele, on a title of the abbot of Comhir.
Henry Breknok, vicar of the choir of our church of St Davids, on a title of his benefice there.
John Mathew, canon.
1403 November 17th
Also on 17th November, in the year above said, the same reverend father committed to master John Kermerdyn, his official to make inquisition touching the vacancy of the parish church of Tynnerby to which Master John Cole is presented by the religious men the prior and monks of the holy priory of St Nicholas, Pembroke, and, if this inquisition find in full in favour of the presenters and the presentee, to admit the same presentee to the said church and to institute him canonically and cause him to be inducted as rector of the same.. And he had letters in the usual form.
1403 December 10th
Also on the 10 December, in the year and place aforesaid, the bishop admitted John Brokholl clerk, to the parish church of Tynneby, of his diocese, vacant by the death of Master Thomas Picton, last rector of the same, to which he is presented to the bishop by the most excellent etc. , Henry etc., king of England, as pertaining to his gift by reason of the temporalities of the alien priory of Pembroke being in his hand on account of the war between himself and his adversary of France, and instituted him etc. And he took the oath etc., And it was written to Sir.........Waleys, vicar of the said church etc., And he had letters etc.
1405 April 4th
On 4 April 1405, at Lawaden, Robert Raulyn, bachelor in degrees, canon of St Davids, vicar general in spiritualities of the reverend stc., Guy, etc., the reverend father himself being engaged in distant parts, admitted Sir Richard Clememt, priest, to the vacant perpetual vicarage of Castelmartyn, pertaining for this turn to the presentation of the most excellent prince lord Henry king etc., by reason of the temporalities of the priory of Pembroke being in his hand on account of the war between him and his adversaries of France, to which he is presented by the same etc.,; and instituted him etc., and it is written to the archdeacon of St Davids etc.
1406 March 21st
Also on 21 March in the year abovesaid, at London, the same reverent father admitted Sir John Clifford to the parish church of Angle of our diocese, on the presentation of the most excellent prince etc., Henry king etc., patron for this turn by reason of the temporalities of the priory of St Nicholas, Pembroke, being in his hands by occasion of the war between himself and his adversaries the French; and him, etc., he instituted etc.,.
1407 12 June
Also on 12 June, in the year above, at London the bishop authorised an exchange between Sirs James Vynor, then rector of the parish church of Freystrop, and Thomas Broun, then rector of Cronwer, of his diocese, and the causes of such exchange having been found lawful and approved and their resignations because of the said exchange of the benefices mentioned having been duly made by Sir Richard Jordan, priest, of the said diocese of St Davids proctor of the aforesaid Sir James Vynor etc., as well as by the aforesaid Thomas Broun, then present there in person, and admitted by the bishop himself, the same bishop admitted the aforesaid Sir Thomas Broun to the aforesaid church of Freystrop at the presentation of the prior and convent of Pylle of the order of St Benedict of Tiron, patrons of the said church etc.,. and subsequently on the same day and at the same place, the aforesaid bishop admitted the aforesaid Sir James Vynor in the person of his proctor aforesaid etc., to the church of Cronwer aforesaid at the presentation of Sir Henry, king of England, etc., and vice-patron by reason of the temporalities of the priory of St Nicholas, Pembroke, being in his hand on account of the war between him and his French adversaries, patron of the same church; and instituted him as rector, etc.
1408 21 March
On 21 March in the year abovesaid at Haverford by force of a commission of the reverend etc., Richard bishop of London, directed to him un this behalf and his own ordinary authority, the same vicar ( Master John Hiot Bishop of St David) set forward the underwritten exchange in form following; Sir Philip Rosse, rector of the parish church of Manorbier of the diocese of St David's and Sir John Hayward, rector of the parish church of St Martin Pomeroy, of the city and diocese of London, resigned their benefices aforesaid for an exchange, to be made with one another etc., and the vicar admitted the said Philip to the latter church on the presentation of the prior and convent of the priory of St Bartholomew, Smethfield, true patrons of the church and instituted him rector; and admitted the said Sir John Heyward to the church of Manorbier on the presentation of the king patron for the turn by reason of the alien priory of Pembroke being in his hands on account of the war between him and his French adversaries and instituted him as Rector.
1410 28 March
On 28 March of the year abovesaid, the aforesaid vicar (Master John Hiot Bishop of St David) at St David's admitted William Henry, deacon, to the parish church of Ludchurch of the diocese of St Davids, vacant by the free resignation of Sir John Thomas, last rector of the same , and pertaining for this turn to the presentation of lord Francis de Courte by occasion of the temporalities of the alien priory of Pembroke with the advowson of churches belonging to the said priory being in his hands of the grant of King Henry IV. And he instituted him etc.
1418 1st July Southampton
Patent Roll, 5 Henry V, m.8 (Cal.,p.129) Whereas the king's brother Humphrey, duke of Gloucester holds of the king, among other premises, the castle, town and Lordship of Pembroke, the manor called "la Priorie" of Pembroke, the castle and town of Tynby, the manor and hundred of Castlemartyn, the castle and lordship of Llanstephan, the manors of Ostrelowe and Trene, the third part of the Manor of Seynclere, the castle, town and lordship of Kylgarran.. the King grants licence for him to enfeoff certain persons of the same to hold to themselves and their heirs until they have levied the sum in which he is at present indebted will be for life.
(enfeoff - to bestow or convey the fee simple of an estate).
1433 8th July Westminster
Patent Roll 11 Henry VI m.1.pt 2 (Cal pp298-299) On 3 September, in his first year, (1413) Henry V granted to the present king's Uncle, Humphrey duke of Gloucester, by the name of Humphrey de Lancastre, the alien priory of Pembroke in tail during the war with France; and by other letters patent, dated at Leicester 16th May in the second year, he advanced him to be earl of Pembroke and then duke of Gloucester for his life, with £20 a year to support his estate as earl and £40 a year to support his estate as duke, out of the issues of the county of Pembroke by the hands of the sheriff. Afterwards on 21 May in the eighth year, peace was made between the king and Charles , king of France, whereby and by virtue of an ordinance made in Parliament at Leicester, in 2 Henry V, the said alien priory of Pembroke, not being conventual and not having had any priors instituted or inducted would come into the king's hands. Now the said Humphrey has had no payment of the said sums of £20 and £40 or of any parcel thereof because Henry V had no issues by the hands of the sheriff of the county inasmuch as by letters patent dated 20th July in his first year, he granted to the said Humphrey in tail, amongst other things, the said county with all its issues and profits by the name of castle and lordship of Pembroke... with all franchises, regalities. liberties, fines ransoms, customs, knight's fees advowsons, fisheries, prises of wine and other profits accustomed. The king therefore, on surrender of the above named letter patent relative to the titles of earl and duke and to the said priory, by advice and assent of the lords spiritual and temporal and of the commonality of England in the present parliament grants to his said uncle, in tail male, the said styles, honours and names of earl of Pembroke and duke of Gloucester, with £20 a year to maintain his estate as earl and £40 a year to maintain his estate as duke, form the said 16 May 2 Henry V out of the issues and revenues of the said priory of Pembroke, Grant to him also during pleasure the said priory with all lands, tenements, rents services, possessions, pensions, portions, fees, advowsons, franchises, liberties and other profits to the same belonging, he finding four chaplains to celebrate divine service everyday in the said priory and paying to Hortonk van Clux, "chivaler", the £50 a year granted to him by Henry IV, henceforward and as from the aforesaid 21 May.
By K and C in Parl.
(Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester died without heir of his body and the acc/to Patent Roll 21 Henry VI pt 2 m1 dated 1443 27 Feb and 26 Henry VI pt 2 m9 William de la Pole Earl of Suffolk and Alice his wife were given the titles of Earl and Countess of Pembroke and the estates in tail male - for a contemporary copy of these letters patent see Harl Ch, 51 H 10 (Brit. Museum) -
1454 there is conformation that the estates and title was given to Jasper Tudor Rot Parl V pp 260-1 - and confiscated 10 Aug 1461 Patent Roll 1 Edward IV pt 3 m 26d (Cal p99) [suspect there is was an earlier commission dated at York on 9th May 1461. - given to Richard duke of Gloucester 1462 12 Aug Patent Roll 2 Edward iv pt 1 m5)
1461 Abbot Whethanstede procured a confirmation of the grant of Pembroke Priory from King Edward IV who again confirmed the gift in the 27th year of his reign
1467 15 March. Patent Roll 6 Edward IV pt 1 m 15.
General pardon to Richard Bennrayth of Pembroke "gentilman" alias Richard Hugh of Monkton co Pembroke alias Richard Benet of all offences committed by him before 8 October 1 Edward IV.
1480 - Acc/to the Wallingford Registry of St Albans Monastery Hertfordshire it appears that the Abbot of St Albans was at that date patron of the following Rectories and Vicarages in Pembrokeshire.
Rectoria de Tyneby
Rectoria de Angulo
Rectoria de Porterawharn
Rectoria de Cranwer
Vicaria de Monkton
Vicaria de Castre Martini
Vicaria de Sancti Michaeltis, Pembrochie
The Mayor and Burgesses of Tenby were granted leave to nominate two chaplains in the parish church of Crownweare, with the donation of the hermitage of St David's near Pembroke
1482 According to entries in the register of Richard Martyn, Bishop of St David's he visited the Priory in the autumn of that year. [See next entry]
1482 10 October.
On 10 October at Monkton by Pembroke in the year as above R. (Richard Martyn ). Bishop of St David's before said collated to one Peter David the perpetual vicarage of the church of the blessed Mary Cairiw, vacant and in his collation by lapse etc. And he had letters etc
1487 17 March.
On 17 March aforesaid at the manor of Lantfey one Sir Robert Smyth, chaplain was admitted to the parish church of Angle vacant by the death of Master Alexander Kyng, last rector there; on the presentation of William abbot of the exempt monastery of St Alban the protomartyr of the English, of the diocese of Lincoln, true patron of the said church because of the priory of Pembroke. And he had letters etc.
1489. The Prior of Monkton, Pembroke was responsible for collecting the subsidy granted to the King from the Archdeaconry of St David's. The sum was £14.
1489 28 February.
Henry etc., king of England to Hugh etc., bishop of St David's greetings. Whereas you and the rest of the prelates and clergy of the province of Canterbury in the last convocation of prelates and such clergy, begun in the cathedral church of St Paul London on 14th January last and continued day by day to and on the 27th day of this present month of February, have granted unto us for the safeguard and defence of the church of England and this our realm of England a subsidy of £5000 to be levied under certain manner, form, and conditions, specified in your said grant and paid, to wit one moiety thereof by 1 May next and the other moiety thereof by 1 November next, of which subsidy indeed a certain portion assigned according to the tenour of the grant aforesaid upon your diocese amounts to the sum of £63 for one moiety; seeing that the levy and collection of such subsidy, so far as concerns that sum for the first term of payment and as much for the second term, pertains to you and your ministers, we command you that as is customary you cause some faithful men of the clergy for whom you are willing to answer to us to be assigned and deputed to levy and collect said subsidy at the terms aforesaid, certifying the treasurer and barons of our Exchequer clearly and openly of the names of those whom you shall depute for the levy and collection of the first moiety by 15 March next and those whom you shall likewise depute for the levy and collection of the second moiety of the same subsidy by 15 September next at the latest. And this in no wise omit as you love us and our honour. Witness myself at Westminster 28 February in the fourth year of our reign.
The names of the collectors of the first moiety of the great subsidy etc.,
The prior of Great Malvern, in the archdeaconry of Brecon, in his collection, clear, for the king £19 2s 4d
The abbot of Talley, in the archdeaconry of Carmarthen £11 12s 6 1/2d
The prior of Monkton, in the archdeaconry of St David's £14
The abbot of Vale Royal of the diocese of Coventry, in the archdeaconry of Cardigan £18 14s 6d
Collectors of the smaller subsidy
Master David Williams archdeacon of St David's in the archdeaconry of St David's.
Master John ap Morgan, archdeacon of Carmarthen, within the archdeaconry of Carmarthen.
Master Thomas ap Hoell, archdeacon of Cardigan within the archdeaconry of Cardigan.
Sir William Thomas, archdeacon of Brecon, within the said archdeaconry of Brecon.
Collectors of the smaller subsidy to be paid at the above term to the archbishop of Canterbury in the church of St Paul 1489 14 November.
On 14 November in the year as above at Lantfey Sir John Baker was admitted to the perpetual vicarage of the parish church of St Martin otherwise called Castilmartyn and instituted etc., on the presentation of the prior of Monkton and the convent of the said house, the true patrons of the said vicarage then vacant by the resignation of Sir William Harres, last vicar there etc.,
1495 26 February.
On 26 February 1495 in Carmarthen priory Thomas the aforesaid vicar general admitted Master Philip David to the perpetual vicarage of the parish church of St Nicholas, Monktown, and instituted him according to the form etc., in the same then vacant by the death of Sir Philip Mylet last vicar there and in the presentation of the venerable man John Thorton doctor in theology prior of Pembroke priory patron of the said vicarage. And thereof he had etc.
1498 26 May.
On 26 May in Carmarthen priory the reverend father admitted Sir David Philip, chaplain to the perpetual vicarage of the parish church of St Nicholas Pembroke, vacant by the resignation of Master Philip David last vicar there and in the presentation of the prior of St Nicholas's Pembroke. And thereof etc.,.
1502 22 January.
On 22 January he (Bishop of St David's) admitted Master William ap Owen to the perpetual vicarage of Castlemartin vacant by the resignation of Sir John Baker last vicar there and in the presentation of the house or priory of St Nicholas Pembroke etc.
1502 1 October.
On 1 October in the place aforesaid (Lamphey manor) the bishop admitted Sir Nicholas Percivall to the vicarage of Castlemartin vacant by the resignation of Master William ap Owen last vicar there, to which [he is presented] by the venerable man the prior of St Nicholas, Pembroke; and he instituted him etc., saving entirely an annual pension of 40s for the said Master William etc.
1503 30 May.
On 30 May 1503 the said bishop in the conventual church of Carmarthen Priory, in consideration of charity, collated to Sir David ap Res, chaplain of his diocese the parish church of Eglwys-Cummin vacant by the death of Master John Griffith last incumbent there and in his collation for this turn by lapse of 6 months. And he assigned to the prior of St Nicholas Pembroke a pension of 2s due and of ancient time accustomed to be paid, for the faithful payment of which pension indeed for his time the same Sir David took an oath on the Gospels And thereof he had the necessary letters of collation etc.
Henry king of England etc., to Edward etc., bishop of St David's greeting. Whereas you and the rest of the prelates and clergy of the province of Canterbury assembled in the last convocation or holy synod of such prelates and clergy in the church of the divine Paul, London, begun and celebrated on 6 February in the year 1511-12 according to the course and computation of the English Church and continued day by day unto and on 17 December then next following granted unto us for the defence and protection of the Anglican Church and this our famous realm of England as well as to allay and extirpate heresies and schisms in the church universal which in these days flourish more than usually, under the manners, forms, conditions, and exceptions written below, not otherwise not in any other manner, four tenths of all ecclesiastical benefices and possessions whatsoever , also of all benefices and possessions of alien priories whatsoever, being in the hands of whatsoever ecclesiastics or secular men of the said province, the specific exceptions within written only excepted, to be levied, collected and paid in the manner, form and terms following, namely one and the first tenth on the feast of St Martin in the winter next to come which will be in the year 1513, the second truly on the feast of St Peter ad Vincula then next to come which will be in the year 1514, and the third on the feast of the Holy apostles Phillip and James which will be in the year 1515, the fourth and last tenth truly on the feast of the said Apostles which will be in the year 1516 saving from the grant, levy, and payment of the said tenth etc., as it more fully appears in the said writ of the king hanging on the file of the year 1513.
Collectors of the first kings tenth to be paid on the feast of St Martin bishop and confessor above
The prior of Pembroke collector in the archdeaconry of St David's.
The abbot of Talley collector in the archdeaconry of Carmarthen.
The prior of Llanthony collector in the archdeaconry of Brecon.
The abbot of the monastery of the Blessed Mary and St Dogmell collector in the archdeaconry of Cardigan.
Collectors of the second tenth
The prior of the priory of St Thomas the Martyr Haverford collector of the archdeaconry of St David's.
The prior of the priory of St John the Evangalist, Carmarthen collector in the archdeaconry of Carmarthen.
The prior of Brecon collector in the archdeaconry of Brecon.
The prior of Cardigan collector in the archdeaconry of Cardigan.
Collectors of the third tenth
The prior of Pill in the archdeaconry of St Davids.
The abbot of Whitland in the archdeaconry of Carmarthen.
The abbot of Cwnhir in the archdeaconry of Brecon.
The abbot of Strata Florida in the archdeaconry of Cardigan.
Collectors of the fourth tenth
The prior of Pembroke collector in the archdeaconry of St David's.
The abbot of Talley collector in the archdeaconry of Carmarthen.
The prior of Llanthony collector in the archdeaconry of Brecon.
The abbot of the monastery of the Blessed Mary and St Dogmell collector in the archdeaconry of Cardigan.
The goods, church possessions and benefices, in the diocese of St David's which have been diminished, impoverished, and other destroyed by wars, inundations of rivers and other misfortunes and chances deservedly to be excused from payment of the same four tenths according to the force etc., of the grant of the same by the authority of the said convocation follow and are these as appears on the other part of the folio here following etc.
In the archdeaconry of St David's are excepted the churches here underwritten:-
In the deanery of Pembroke the underwritten churches are excepted:
St Twinnells
St Issells
Stackpole Elidor
St Petrox
St Nicholas Pembroke
St Michael Pembroke
Stackpole Bosher
and Narberth
Also the goods temporal of the abbot of St Dogmells in this archdeaconry are excepted.
Also the goods temporal of the prior of Pill are likewise excepted.
Also the goods temporal of the prior of Haverford are likewise excepted.
1534 - William Waren or Warren was the last prior of Pembroke (MS Col Vol xxvii fol 122b)
Ecelesia Santi Nicholai de Monckton Santi Michaelis Pembr. et abarum; videlicet.
Willmuss Waren prior cellae sive prioratus de Moncketon st Pembs. et ratione ejusdem rector eccliarum poch subscriptarum, videlt, Sancti Nichoi. de Monckton, Sancti Michaels Pembr. divae Mariae Pembr. capellae de Crukemanan et eclliae parrachialis de Castro Martini, cum maneiis terris et tentis ac glebus dictus eccliis spectantibus infra Decanat. Pembr. asseriut se inde computatur coram comiss dni regis com. Hertf eo quod cella praedca sub monasterio Snacti Albani existit. (Return 26 Henry VIII First Fruits Office).
The clear value of this priory in the 26th Henry VIII appears to have amounted to £57 9s 3 3/4d
Speede makes the gross revenue to have gone up to £113 2s 6 1/4d
Tanner says the Benet college manuscript makes the value £32 3s 4d per annum only
1500 Prerogative Register of Canterbury
The will dated 1500 of Richard Newton, a resident in the parish of Monkton, near Pembroke, in which he requests that his body be buried in the Chancel of the Church of St Nicholas Monkton and amongst the bequeaths
"to the Prior and Convent of Monkton and to their successors to the intent that it shall be kept in the said place of Monkton a basin and ewer of white silver with belonged to Dame Elizabeth Newton my mother. to the chapel of St George the Martyr of Nangle four tenements in Haverfordwest and Pembroke, which lands of late appertained to the chapel of St Anthony in the Nangle, and to the augmentation of the stipend of a priest always to sing for the souls of the founders of the chapel of St Anthony, that is to say...Shelborn and his ancestors and for me and Elinor my late wife". He also directed that "the principal window in the chapel of St George above the altar shall be renewed and barred with green bars, and that the history and life of St George shall be pictured upon the glass".
He also left 20 shillings to the high altar of the Church of Monkton and among those who witnessed his will were Sir Robert Smyth rector of Nangle. Sir William Harres, rector of Cosheston.
1546 The site of Pembroke Priory was granted in the 37th Henry VIII to John Vaughan and Katherine his wife.
Particulars for grants temp Henry VIII Augmentation Office.
Md that I John Vaughan doctor of lawe do requyre to purchase of the kings majestie by virtue of his grace's commission of sale the manor and selle of Penbroke otherwise called Monkton in South Walles in the countie of Penbroke, with their rights, members and appurtenance being of the clere yearly value of twelve pounds the tenth not being deducted. In wytnes wherof to this subscrybed with my hande I have sett my seale the nynth day of December in the 37th year of the reign of our most dreade soveraign Lord Kynge Henry th eight by the Grace of God Kynge of Inglonde, France and Ireland, defender of the faith and of the Church of Inglonde and also of Ireland on earth the supreme hedd.
Jo Vaughan..
[the price was £216]
(In other manuscripts described as Sir John Vaughan of Whitland).
1548 During the time of Bishop Ferrar attempt to re-organise the Diocess of St David's he was opposed in this by Thomas Young the precentor and Rowland Meyrick (father of the 2nd Earl of Essex's household steward) Their allies were the Devereux and the Barlows, whom Ferrar had estranged, the Barlows by challenging their claims to the farm of the prebend of Brawdy and the lease of Monkton and accusing them of witholding tithes that ought to have come to the Bishop from Carew and the Devereux by seeking to recover Lamphey. The Bishop was by his accused by his chapter of numerous charges of abuse of authority, maintenance of superstition, covetousness etc. and remained in custody till his martyrdom in Mary's reign. Meyrick proceeded to the office of a commissioner and Bishop of Bangor.
Dec 1551 (LateChantries)
Lessee: William Warren - Land granted or belonging to free chapel of St Daniell, parish of St Mary, Pembroke
1595 November 8. Carmarthen.
Frannces Meyrick was one of the signatories of a letter addressed to Sir John Puckering, Lord Keeper, Lord Burghley, Lord Treasurer, The earl of Essex, Lord Buckhurst and the earl of Pembroke, requesting ships of war and fortifications to defend the harbour of Milford.
Bronwydd MS 3, fos.96-7.
1600 October 1.
Francis Meyrick was one of the signatories of a letter to the Mayor and Aldermen of the Town and County of Haverfordwest billeting 200 soldiers stranded by bad weather in the Haven, on their way to Ireland, in the town and County of Havefordwest until the wind changes.
Johannes Meyrick gent. pro pauperbus was mentioned as one of the treasurers of the poor and maimed soldiers within the county of Pembroke [the funds appear to have been misdirected] £200 to a house of correction which was never made, £40 per year towards the relief of maimed soldiers but only two paid in the county and they received £11 between them per annum, £12 yearly levy for the relief of poor persons - only £6 distributed. Money raised to repair St Katherins Bridge and other bridges and the money converted to their own use.]
Bronwydd MS 399.
Tanner refers to a manuscript which was formally preserved in the Cottanian library at Westminster marked Otho B IV intitled "Processus inductionis Manerii sive Prioratus de Penbroke metrice" which disappeared after the fire of 1731.
1652 October 7th.
Erasmus Phillips, Sampson Lort and William Phillips, Pembroke Town to the Committee for regulation of Markets, the Inner Exchequer Chamber, Westminster. Having received their order of 15th June 1652 concerning the regulating of markets, enclosed in a letter from Mr Blackgrave, the writers caused it to be published at the public sessions held for co. Pembrocke at the town hall of Pembrocke on 5 October. They made known such [fit] places within the county where markets may be directed, viz. , Mounton in the hundred of Castlemartyn on Tuesday, Fishguard in Kemes on Wednesday, Lawhadden in Dungleddy on Thursday, St Florence in Castemartyn on Thursday, and Narberth in the hundred of Narberth on Wednesday. The reason of their certificate herein is that there is no market in the county but in the corporate towns of Pembroke and Tenby and the county town of Haverfordwest. (Calendar of the Records of the borough of Haverfordwest 1539 - 1660)
On June 15th 1810 Sir John Owen of Orielton purchased the estate of Monkton from Viscount Hereford for £45,545
People associated in records with Monkton Parish and information on them:
1648 Peregrine Phillips Vicar of Monkton during the Civil War.
Acc/to J T Rees "History of Protestant Nonconformity in Wales" (1861).
The Oxford-educated Phillips, the son of a vicar of Amroth, was appointed to the Llangwm living after briefly serving as his uncles curate at Kidwelly. Pluralism was very common, and with the backing of such gentlemen as Sir Hugh Owen, Sir Roger Lort and Sir John Meyrick, he was soon preferred first to Monkton, then to Cosheston and Pembroke St Mary's. When Cromwell placed a battery, in his garden with the aim of bombarding the castle Rev Phillips hid his flour in the bolster of his bed to save it from the hungry Roundheads who were searching for food. He was invited to preach before Oliver Cromwell and his troops during the siege of Pembroke (1648) probably on Sunday July 16 1648 and he so impressed the future Protector that he was invited aboard the men-of-war about to undertake the Irish campaign. During the Protectorate, Phillips became widely known as a committed advocate of the government's religious policy. A very accomplished orator, hailed by many as the best in the county, he preached in almost every church English and Welsh, and before the Justices of the Assizes at Cardigan, Haverfordwest and Carmarthen. He must have relinquished his Pembroke incumbency when the parishes of Llangwm, Freystrop and Rosemarket were united (July 1656). On one occasion, the intrepid rector had an experience which convinced many of his admirers that Providence had a special affection for him. When riding homeward late at night, both he and his horse plunged into a deep coal-pit at Freysrop and were firmly wedged in the narrow mouth a few feet from the surface. He was rescued by the proprietor Captain Longmans, who had been appraised of his perilous predicament by an un-named deaf woman and her alert grandson. Peregrine Phillips continued to be very active as an open-air preacher and public evangelist until he fell foul of the Act of Uniformity (1662) which banned all acts of worship not conducted in accordance with the Book of Common Prayer. Ejected from the Established Church, this amiable but unrepentant non-conformist withdrew to Dredgeman Hill Farm which he held from Sir Herbert Perrot, of Haroldston, and which he converted into an Independent house church (1665). Thereafter he became the accredited pastor of the Green Meeting, a non-conformist group of 50/60 which assembled in a little room on St Thomas's Green and which was to develop into Albany Congregation (now United Reformed) Church Haverfordwest. Upon his death at 68 years of age in September 1692, this unforgettable former rector of Llangwm, Cosheston and vicar of Monkton and St Mary's Pembroke was buried near the pulpit at Haroldston church.
Meyrick's & Monkton.
Rowland Meyrick 1505 -66 born at Bodorgan Anglesey - son of Meurig Lewis of Bodorgan who was in the king's personal service and whose father had fought at Bosworth for Henry Tudor later Henry VII. Rowland Meyrick became chancellor of St Davids and prebendary of Treflodan - served as one of Queen Elizabeth's commissoners authorised to carry out a visitation of the Welsh bishoprics and then consecrated Bishop of Bangor December 1559 to 1565. He married Katherine daughter of Owen Barrett of Gellyswick she died in 1598 and they had four sons and two daughters - eldest was Sir Gelly Meyrick, Knt who was a lifelong friend of the Earl of Essex - he shared the same fate and died on the scaffold in 1601.
1555 Gelly Meyrick eldest son of Rowland leased land from the Bishop of St David's in Llanwda for a term of forty years these leases were renewed in 1626 for John Meyrick the term being 21 years and the land was leased by the family till the end of the 1700's.
1595 Francis Meyrick son of Rowland was a deputy lieutenant of the of the Earl of Pembroke involved (with George Owen) in preparations to resist a threatened invasion by Spain - Francis was knighted by Robert Devereux 2nd Earl of Essex whilst serving with him in Ireland, he later acquired lands which had belonged to Pembroke Priory and lived at Fleet.
John Meyrick younger son of Rowland of was appointed clerk of the peace by the Earl.
1596 Anne Meyrick leased a holding for three lives that originally had been the property of Pill Priory.
Sir John Meyrick - third son of Sir Francis Meyrick was one of the military officers of the third Earl of Essex and fought in the thirty years war. He was wounded in 1632 at Maastricht. In 1640 commanded a regiment in which his brother Sir Gelly Meyrick served as an ensign. Later he became an MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme. During the Civil War he was a military adviser to the Earl of Essex and president of the Earls council of war. He married one of the daughters of Morgan and Maud Powell.
1641 Sir John Meyrick of Fleet was on of the officers appointed by Parliament for service against the rebels.
1642 - Sir John Meyrick of Fleet was a supporter of the Parliamentary cause.
In 1660 Francis Meyrick (also refered to as Captain Meyrick) was tenant of Boughwood [Bowett farm near Hundleton] the property of Leister, 6th Viscount Hereford. This he held on an annual tenancy but was trying to obtain a lease of either three lives or one and twenty years. There was also at the same time a land dispute in progress between William Holcombe of Brownslade (who acted as local agent) and Captain Meyrick quoting threats alleged to have been made by Mr Esix Meyrick.
In 1661 Francis Meyrick had financial problems, he was unable to pay his rent but hoped to be able to do so in the near future as he was owed £20 by his nephew.
The Hearth Tax of 1670 records that John Meyricke of Mouncton paid tax on 2 hearths.
In 1680 there are records relating to Dorothy Meyrick as daughter/heir of John Meyrick of Bowett.
By 1696 Meyrick references give the family home as Bush when in that year Essex Meyrick of Bush was one of the gentlemen presented for refusing oaths of allegiance to William III.
Associated with the Church:
Knethell Richard 1543 Moncton PRO 223/423 Churchwarden
Roche John 1543 Moncton PRO 223/423 Churchwarden
de Gardino Philip vicar 1347 Oct 4 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 237
Roland Philip vicar 1349 Mar 12 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 237
Corland William vicar 1349 Jul 16 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 237
Griffith Walter vicar 1385 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 237
Popton David vicar 1385 jun 27 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 237
David Philip vicar 1495 Feb 26 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 237
Philip David vicar 1497 May 26 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 237
Carold David vicar 1554 Sep 21 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 237
Jones John vicar 1562 Mar 17 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 237
Owen Francis vicar 1621 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 237
Mountford John vicar 1665 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 237
Jones Owen vicar 1690 Nov 22 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 238
Jones Gilbert vicar 1722 Aug 16 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 238
Courtney Peter vicar 1743 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 238
Lewis David vicar 1743 Feb 1 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 238
Seall George vicar 1770 Feb 2 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 238
Powell Thomas vicar 1790 Sep 2 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 238
Hughes John vicar 1795 Jul 6 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 238
Philipps Charles vicar 1809 Sep 27 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 238
Douglas Charles vicar 1854 Apr 25 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 238
Bowen David vicar 1877 Jul 11 Monkton WWHR Vol3 p 238
Mylet Philip 1395 Monkton vica WWHR Vol3 p 237
Morgan John 1534 Monkton vicar WWHR Vol3 p 237
Stokes Nicholas 1668 Monkton vicar WWHR Vol3 p 238
Poole Henry 1695 Monkton vicar WWHR Vol3 p 238
Newton Richard 1500 Sept 24 Will witnessed Monkton, St Nicholas WWHR vol1 p238
Hughes Joan (widow) 1661 Apr 6 Monckton Glansevern MS 7709
Dunn Catherine 1750 daughter of John Crickmarren Mkton WWHR 1915
Heads of the Household recorded in the Hearth Tax Records for Monkton in 1670.
Those with "p" after the entry were recorded as paupers, those with "h" plus a number paid tax on that number of hearths.
Allen John 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Bateman Evan 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Beavan Owen 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h1
Bedford Margret 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Beede John 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Beynon Francis 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Bishop Henry 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h5
Brotherton Elizabeth 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Browne Mathew 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Browne Bithell 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire Hearth p
Brynne Jeffery 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Butler William 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Butler Richard 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h2
Carrow Widdowe 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Chatchmaide George 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h3
Coole David 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths p
Coorsey Lewis 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Corrall Widdowe 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h2
Coulton George 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h2
Cozens William 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h2
David George 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
David William 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
David Thomas 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Davies Henry 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire Hearth h2
Demont Francis 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Dunne Stephen 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h2
Eston Rice 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Fortune Margaret 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h2
Gilliad John 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Gough Francis (widow) 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h1
Griffith Miles 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Gwither George 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h1
Hall Lewis 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Hancocke George 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h3
Hellier Thomas 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Hinton Henry 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h4
Hinton Harry 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Hinton Francis 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Hitching John 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h2
Howell Jennett 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h1
Howell John 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Hughes Widdowe 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Hurler Austin 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Hurler Francis 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Jackeston Earnest 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h2
Jenkins James 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths p
Jermin Griffith 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h2
Jones Henry 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h2
Lewis Griffith 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Mason Robert 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h4
Meare Francis 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h3
Meare Francis 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h4
Mends Robert 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Meyricke John 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h2
Phillip Henry 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Powell William 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Reymand Edward 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Robbin Thomas 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Robert Morris 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h2
Roberts Hugh 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Russell Rowland 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Russell Widdowe 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h1
Russen John 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Smith Owen 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Stoakes Widdowe 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h1
Stoakes Nicholas (Clerk) 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h2
Thomas Hugh 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h4
Tucker Thomas 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Vaughan John 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Welsh Thomas 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Welsh Phillip 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h1
Williams Edward 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth h1
Williams Edward 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Wogan William 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearths h4
Brown Richard 1660 Nov2 Mouncton Farm? Glansevern MS 14096
Swaine Jennett 1670 Mouncton Pembrokeshire hearth p
Land Tax Register 1791
Moncton Edmond Wm. (tenant)
Moncton Harries Wm (tenant)
Moncton Lewis John (tenant)
Moncton Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Roberts John (tenant)
Moncton Thomas Eliz (tenant)
Moncton Tucker (gentlewoman)Mary (tenant)
Moncton Barn House Allen Joshua (tenant)
Moncton Barn House Campbell John (owner)
Moncton Barn House Cockram Mary (tenant)
Moncton Barn House Leach AbrmMoncton Barn House Meare Griffith, (tenant)
Moncton Bentlass land Adams John (tenant)
Moncton Bentlass land Beaford John (tenant)
Moncton Bentlass land James Mary (tenant)
Moncton Bentlass land Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Bidford land Campbell John (owner)
Moncton Bidford land Harries Mary (tenant)
Moncton Bidford land Turner Richd (tenant)
Moncton Bidford land Vaughan Wm (tenant)
Moncton Bowood Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Bowood Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton Bridge Butler Peter (tenant)
Moncton Bridge Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Bridgend Holcombe Rev Canon (owner)
Moncton Brown Close Llewehellin Pierce (tenant)
Moncton Brown Close Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Brownslade Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Butlers land John James (tenant)
Moncton Butlers land Barlow Hugh (owner)
Moncton Camblane Jones Owen (tenant)
Moncton Camblane Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Closeay Lane Davies Stephen (tenant)
Moncton Closeay Lane Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Cooks Land Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Cooks Land Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton Corston Edwards Thos (tenant)
Moncton Corston Leach Ab (owner)
Moncton Crickmarren Dunn John (owner)
Moncton Crickmarren Dunn Nick (tenant)
Moncton Crickmarren Dunn Nick's (owner)
Moncton Crickmarren Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Dools Land Husband Geo (tenant)
Moncton Dools Land Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Fair Profits Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Fair Profits Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton Flag Davies Catherine (tenant)
Moncton Flag Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Furston Campbell John (owner)
Moncton Garnish Land Dunn John (owner)
Moncton Garnish Land James Elinor (tenant)
Moncton Garnish Land Phillips Thos (owner)
Moncton Great Hall Owen Lady Ann (tenant)
Moncton Great Hall Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Great Tythes Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Great Tythes Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton Griffith land Phillips Levi (Owner)
Moncton Grove Meyrick John Francis (owner)
Moncton Grove Powell William (tenant)
Moncton Gulborough Campbell John (owner)
Moncton Gulborough Purser Geo (tenant)
Moncton Gwyther Land Bosher Dina (tenant)
Moncton Gwyther Land Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Gwyther land James James (tenant)
Moncton Hares Hole Meyrick John Francis (owner)
Moncton Hares Hole Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton Highgate Davies John (tenant)
Moncton Highgate Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Hundleton Gwyther Wm (tenant)
Moncton Hundleton Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Hundleton Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Hundleton Phillips Frank (tenant)
Moncton Hundleton Phillips James (tenant)
Moncton Hundleton Hill Eynon Thos (tenant)
Moncton Hundleton Hill Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Kiln Park Davies Evan (tenant)
Moncton Kiln Park Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Lower Castelton Meyrick John Francis (owner)
Moncton Lower Castleton Price Margaret (tenant)
Moncton Lower Fleet Meyrick John Francis (owner)
Moncton Lower Grove Powell William (tenant)
Moncton Little Furston Campbell John (owner)
Moncton Little Furston Howells Joseph (tenant)
Moncton Little Orielton Hitching Isaiak (tenant)
Moncton Little Orielton Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Mellaston Llewhellin William (tenant)
Moncton Mellaston Meyrick John Francis (owner)
Moncton Monston Meares Hugh (owner)
Moncton Monston Purser Geo (tenant)
Moncton Orielton Owen Lady Ann (tenant)
Moncton Orielton Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Orielton Mill Griffith Thomas (tenant)
Moncton Orielton Mill Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Oxland Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Oxland Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Oxland Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton Oxland Thomas (widow) Eliz (tenant)
Moncton Paternoster Hall Ab (tenant)
Moncton Paternoster Hay Mary (owner)
Moncton Pipers Bridge Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Pipers Bridge Thomas (widow)Eliz (tenant)
Moncton Poyers Land Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Poyers Land Meyrick John Francis (owner)
Moncton Poyers Land Millard (widow) Eliz (tenant)
Moncton Poyers Land Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton Priory Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Priory Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton Quiots Mill Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton Quoits Mill Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Roberts Land Meyrick John Francis (owner)
Moncton Roberts Land Millard (widow) Eliz (tenant)
Moncton Saices Close Hood John (tenant)
Moncton Saices Close Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Scots Land Campbell John (owner)
Moncton Scots Land Thomas Eliz (tenant)
Moncton Seveston Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Seveston Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton Small tythes Clark John (tenant)
Moncton Small tythes Powell Rev (owner)
Moncton Square Island Davies Geo. (tenant)
Moncton Square Island Morce Lettice (tenant)
Moncton Square Island Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Summerton Ball Capt (tenant)
Moncton Summerton Campbell John (owner)
Moncton Summerton Harries Ben (tenant)
Moncton Thatchers Close Barlow Hugh (owner)
Moncton Thatchers Close Lewis John (tenant)
Moncton Upper Tenement Grove Meyrick John Francis (owner)
Moncton Upper Tenement Grove Powell William (tenant)
Moncton Upper Fleet Bedford John (tenant)
Moncton Upper Fleet Meyrick John Francis (owner)
Moncton Vallakes Edwards Thos (tenant)
Moncton Vallakes Leach Ab (owner)
Moncton W Davies land Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton W Davies land Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton W.Welch Land Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton W.Welch Land Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton Warnoth Croft Llewhellin Pierce (tenant)
Moncton Warnoth Croft Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Water Tenement Gwyther Widow (tenant)
Moncton Water Tenement Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Water Tenement Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Water Tenement Thomas William (tenant)
Moncton Water Tenement Phillips Frank (tenant)
Moncton Water Tenement Phillips James (tenant)
Moncton Windmill Hill Drinkwater Thos (tenant)
Moncton Windmill Hill Hereford Lord Visct (Owner)
Moncton Windmill Hill Meyrick John Francis (owner)
Moncton Windmill Hill Millard (widow) Eliz (tenant)
Moncton Yerbeston Owen Sir Hugh (owner)
Moncton Yerbeston Scale Geo (tenant)
Medieval Religious House, England and Wales 2nd Edition 1971 D Knowles and R N
The ancient Priory church of St Nicholas and St John. Monkton, A brief History.
Episcopal Acts relating to Welsh Dioceses 1066-1272 James Conway Davies Vol 1
Dugdales Monasticum
Pembrokeshire Antiquities
The Monastic Order in South Wales 1066 - 1348 F G Cowley
The Old Parish Churches of South West Wales by Mike Salter
South Pembrokeshire Place Names - P Valentine Harris
The Pembrokeshire Guide - Brian John
Monks and Monasteries - Samual Fox - 1845
South Wales by H L V Fletcher
South Wales Wade 1913
Place Names in Pembrokeshire B.G Charles
Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments 1923
The State of Education in Wales 1847
Topographical Dictionary of Wales S Lewis 1834
Deanery of Castlemartin Church Magazines 1883
Calender of the Records of the borough of Haverfordwest 1539 - 1660 B G Charles
The Monastic Order in South Wales 1066 - 1348 F G Cowley
The Episcopal Register of St David's 1397 - 1518
Churches and Chapels of Pembrokeshire
Census of Religious buildings 1851
The Description of Pembrokeshire by George Owen 1603
Historical Tour of Pembrokeshire Fenton 1810
The History of Little England beyond Wales E Laws
Calendar of Public Records relating to Pembrokeshire H Owen 1918
Brut Y Tywysogyon
Guide to the Collection Illustrating The PreHistory of Wales. Professor W F Grimes 1939.
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Acc/to The Old Parish Churches of South West Wales - Mike Salter 1994.
Church on ancient foundations but has been completely rebuilt and lack old features
Acc/to Pembrokeshire Parsons.
Monington, St. Nicholas.
This benefice was originally a curacy belonging to the vicarage of Llantood, which vicarage was appropriated to the abbey of St. Dogmaels. — Owen's Pem. The living is now a vicarage, and appears to have been united with St. Dogmaels and Llantood as far back as 1624. See under Llantood and also under St. Dogmaels.
There appears to be no mention of this benefice in the Valor Eccl.
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Morfil (036307) Jottings
Now little Church and a farm but once, before the Normans, the head village of the cantref of Kemes.
The rectory of Morvil was appendant to the manor of Maenclochog; the patrons in 1594 being Longville and James Lewis. — Owen's Pem.
In 1291 this church, described as Ecclesia de Morvin, was assessed at £4 6s. 8d. for tenths to the king. — Taxatio.
Morbylle.—Ecclesia ibidern ex presentacione domini de Ferrers unde Johannes Nicoll est rector valet com-munibus annis 40s. Inde decima 4s. - Valor Eccl
Under the heading 'Livings Discharged':—Morvill R. (St. John Baptist). Dom. de Ferrers olim Patr.; Sir John Philips, Bart., 17I5, 1730, 1745; Lord Milford, 1781. Clear yearly value, £8 10s 0d. King's Books, £2. — Bacon's Liber Regis.
On 18 Nov., 1903, a faculty was obtained for the removal of a cottage.
In a list of pilgrimage chapels, most of which, it is stated, were in ruins, occurs the name of 'Capell Burnagh in Morvill.' — Owens Pem. Vol. I.
January 1397-8.
licence on 4 January at Coventry in the year above said, nonresidence.
The bishop granted to Thomas Brenles, rector of parish church of Moruile, of the diocese of St. Davids, in the service of Thomas Roche, patron of the church, licence of "non-residence" for one year, and of letting his said church at farm to fit persons for the same time.
Acc/to The Old Parish Churches of South West Wales - Mike Salter 1994.
Church on ancient foundations but has been completely rebuilt and lack old features.
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Mountondedication unknown (SN 094119) Jotting
Acc/to The old Parish Churches of South West Wales by Mike Salter 1994.
The neglected single chamber of the 13c or 14c has a west porch. It was remodelled in the 18c, one chancel beam being dated 1743.
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Moylgrove(Trewyddel) (117447) Jottings
Remains of an iron age camp and a Bronze age burial mound.
Set deep in the valley which runs out to the coast at Ceibwr, the village is full of character. The architecture is a mixture of ancient and modern. So many of the cottages are holiday homes that the village almost dies in the winter. Celbwr is a pretty bay, but there is no sandy beach and very little parking.
Matilda, daughter of a Welsh Chieftain owned 230 acres of land, here she married Robert Fitz Martin of Nevern, and the village is said to be named after her.
Nearby Ceibwr Bay ships used to discharge cargoes of Lime and culm and contraband.
Acc/to The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park by Dillwyn Miles.
This village of a few cottages and two chapels lies deep in a valley. Its name first appears as "grava Matildis", the grove of Matilda, who was the wife of Robert Fitzmartin, the Norman invader of Cemais.
Acc/to The Old Parish Churches of South West Wales -- Mike Salter 1994.
Church on ancient foundations but has been completely rebuilt and lack old features
Acc/to Pembrokeshire Parsons
Moylgrove vicarage was in 1594 held with Bayvil, and was then in the patronage of the Crown, having formed part of the possessions of the dissolved abbey of St. Dogmaels.—Owen's Pem,
In 1291 this church, described as Ecclesia de Guava Matilda, was assessed at £4 for tenths to the King.— Taxatio.
Moilegrove.—Vicaria ibidem ex collacione dicti abbatis [de St. Dogmaele unde Thomas Lloid est vicarius valet communibus annis dare 40s. Inde decima 4s. — For extract from Bacon's Liber Regis, see under Bayvil.
On 7 April, 1899, a faculty was obtained for the removal of the buildings on Mountbach on glebe lands belonging to this living, situate in the parish of Mount, Cards.
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Mynachlogddu(145305) Jottings
A little hamlet in the heart of the Preseli Hills, surrounded by bleak moorlands, forestry plantations and stony barren hills. Above the hamlet are the rocky crags of Carn Meini (the source of the Stonehenge bluestones), and a little way to the west is the simple memorial to Waldo Williams, one of Pembrokeshire's best known Welsh poets.
Nearby Gors Fawr Stone circle diameter of approx 70 ft consisting of 16 stones and 2 pointer stones.
A pastoral community that once belonged to St Dogmaels.
Acc/to The Monasticism Order in South Wales 1066 -1348 F G Cowley.
appropriated Churches belonging to St Dogmael's
Mynachlog-ddu £2 13 4d
Acc/to The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park by Dillwyn Miles.
The name means "the Black Monastery", so called because its manor was granted by Robert Fitzmartin, lord of Cemais, to the Abbey of St Dogmael's and the inhabitants of a part of St Dogmael's had a right of summer grazing for their cattle here. There is no evidence that there was a monastic settlement in the vicinity if this bleak moorland hamlet.
Thomas Rees otherwise Twm Carnabwth, leader of the first Rebbeca Riot lies buried at Bethel Chapel graveyard.
Acc/to The old Parish Churches of South West Wales by Mike Salter 1994.
St Dogmael's SN 132283
This disused church has a main body probably of the 13c with a 15c south aisle with a three bay arcade on octagonal piers.
Acc/to Pembrokeshire Parsons.
This benefice originally a curacy belonging to the abbey of St. Dogmaels, and on the dissolution of that house came into the hands of the King, by whom it was leased on 12 May, 1537, to Morgan Johnes of Llaugadock, Carms. — State Papers.
In 1594 the advowson was bought by .... Eliot. — Owen's Pem.
Described as Capella de Nigra Grangea, this church was in 1291 assessed at £2 13s. 4d. for tenths to the King. — Taxatio.
There is no separate valuation of this benefice in the Valor Eccl., the only reference to it being the following entry in the list of property held by the abbey of St. Dogmaels:—Manoghloke Duy per annum eum proficuis libete capelle ibidem viijU xvS vid.
Under the heading 'Not in Charge':- Monochlogddu Cur. (St. Dogmael). Abb. St. Dogmael Propr.; Lord Milford. - Bacon's Liber Regis.
On 3 Dec. 1888, a faculty was obtained for the removal of 2 cottages belonging to this living.
George Owen in his list of pilgrimage chapels, most of which were in ruins, mentions the names of two, called respectively Capell Cawey and Capell St. Silin, in this parish. — Owen's Pem.,
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